


Love in War

by Avitha101



Category: Mulan (1998), Mulan II, mulan 2 (2004), mulan 2 - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Movie: Mulan II (2004), Mulan (1998) References, Mulan II (2004), avitha, avitha101, love in war, mulan - Freeform, mulan 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:34:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 40,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22942615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avitha101/pseuds/Avitha101
Summary: Following the events in Qui Gong in Mulan 2, the story is nowhere near its conclusion.(Please note, one of my followers pointed out to me that Disney released a storybook following the events of Mulan 2, and the events that transpire there are EXTREMELY different than what happens here, so if you have read the book, please know that this story really has no correlation to it <3)
Relationships: Chien Po/Su (Disney), Fa Mulan/Li Shang, Fa Mulan/Mei/Su/Ting-Ting (Disney), Ling/Ting-Ting (Disney), Mei/Yao (Disney)
Comments: 59
Kudos: 92





	1. Our Next Move

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so I apologize if it feels stale or stagnant. Please tell me what you think! I want to know if you like it, or even don't like it! And I want to know how I can improve! I'm absolutely open to feedback!!!!!!

It had been anything but an uneventful evening. Mulan had nearly given herself in marriage to Prince Jeeki of Qui Gong under the impression that Shang had been killed and it was the only way to complete their mission of alliance. When Shang was revealed to have lived, chaos consumed the gathering as he asserted what Mulan had tried to argue since the beginning. No one should be forced to marry someone they don’t love.

Outraged, Lord Qin tries to have him executed for interrupting the sacred ceremony. Thanks to quick thinking from Mushu, posing as the Golden Dragon of Unity, he didn’t prevail. Under his guise, Mushu promptly marries Shang and Mulan and releases the princesses, who were hiding amongst the crowd, from their vow to marry the princes of Qui Gong. 

The battle was won and the crisis had been diverted… Or had it?

Mulan, Shang, the princesses, and the soldiers reconvened on the outskirts of the city in an effort to escape any more attention from Qui Gong’s inhabitants for the mayhem they had caused there. An important question needed to be answered:

**_What do we do next?_ **

The seven of them stood in silence for some time, as if they could all read each other's thoughts, but no one could put them into words. 

Mulan finally spoke,

“I told Lord Qin that you were all killed when the royal carriage fell into the river. I can tell the emperor that as well so you all can get away!”

The princesses stared at her in shock. _Lie to their father? Break his heart by leading him to believe all three of his children were gone forever? And what would that make of Mulan and Shang? The ones that got away? Surely conspiracies would spread, not to mention the potential consequences they would face for allowing such a tragedy to occur._

“No,” Ting Ting responded, “that’s not an option. We have to return to our father.”

“What!?” Mei interjected, “We can’t do that! We took a vow to marry in Qui Gong! How can we face him after what we’ve done?”

“So you just want to run away? No one is asking you to change your decision, Mei. Just to take responsibility for it! I, for one, can’t spend my life hurting others by hiding from my problems. You shouldn’t be content to spend your days living a lie!” Ting Ting lectured. 

“Mei, it’ll be okay.” Su added, “He’s not just the Emperor, he’s our dad. He’d want us to be happy! And look at Fa Mulan!” she said, gesturing to Mulan, “She broke the rules to join the army, AND HE HONORED HER! He’s understanding! Everything doesn’t have to be according to tradition! Not to mention we didn’t break our vow! The Golden Dragon of Unity released is from it! Everything will be alright.”

Shang gripped Mulan’s hand and the two spent a moment reading each other’s expression. He then faced the princesses, “The decision is yours, and we’ll be here to support you in whatever you choose.”

Mei and Yao exchanged glances before both nodding in agreement, “Let’s go home.”

With that, the team started out of Qui Gong to return.

The journey back to the Imperial City was a long one. The caravan moved slowly and there was a feeling of anxiety that radiated through each of them. Though none of them would dare speak of it, they each feared the Emperor’s reaction to their actions. Mulan and Shang hadn’t secured the alliance they promised, the princesses hadn’t honored their vow, and the soldiers had stolen the princesses’ hearts. 

It’s true, the emperor had been understanding in the past, but that didn’t change the fact that he _was_ the emperor, the most powerful man in the country. Anything could happen. 

There was a slight rustling coming from Mulan’s satchel. She turned to face it and a familiar red dragon snaked his head out of the side opening. 

“Mulan, are you sure you want to do this?” Mushu asked her, worry written across his face. 

“Do what?”

“Face the Emperor,” Mushu clarified.

“Of course! What else would I do?” Mulan scoffed. 

“Leave! You could run! Start over! You and pretty boy together!”

“Your last move as guardian would be to dishonor my family by having me run away?” She asked, both accusingly and genuinely shocked. 

“Forget honor! Forget all of that! I couldn’t live seeing anything happen to you, and who knows what the emperor might do!?” He didn’t care to impress the ancestors, or even to keep his pedestal anymore. He just didn’t want Mulan to get hurt. 

“Nothing will happen. We’ll work this out!” She reassured him as she stroked his head, “Besides, we’ve been through much worse than this. Everything will be okay.”

At this point, she was talking to herself more than to Mushu. Her words did little to calm his fear, but they gave her enough courage to wear a smile for the time being. 

The princesses and soldiers were walking together in a group with an ox following closely behind if needed. They mostly stuck to their pairs, occasionally glancing at each other to see if they wanted to engage in conversation. After some time of walking in silence, Ling pulled Ting Ting to the side.

“Do you really think the Emperor will be okay with this? With us? _All_ of us?” He asked, trying to keep his voice down to a whisper.

Ting Ting exhaled and broke her posture, “I don’t know,” she started, “I know he wants us to be happy, but we still let him down. I just hope he doesn’t do anything to any of you.”

As they continued to walk in silence, each of the princesses’ faces read the different narrative of what was swirling around their minds:

Mei had had high hopes for a happy future filled with love, and feared what facing her father would mean for those hopes. 

Ting Ting worried for the well being of the team. She knew that the emperor wouldn’t hurt her or her sisters, as they were still his children and heirs to his kingdom, but what about Ling, Chien-Po, Yao, Shang, and Mulan? She didn’t want them to have to pay for the choices she and her sisters had made. She didn’t know what she would do if any torment was paid to them for her or her sisters’ actions. 

Meanwhile, Su was scared. She had no idea what was coming, and she didn’t want to upset anyone by choosing one way or the other. She just wanted everything to turn out alright.


	2. A Failed Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long journey, the team finally arrives in the Imperial City and is ready to face the Emperor for their actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make this chapter longer since many of you told me my first chapter fell on the short side, but it turned out to be roughly the same length. Sorry about that!

After about a week of travel, the team finally arrived in the Imperial City. From there, it was not long until they reached the palace gates. After long deliberations and debates, they ruled it best that the soldiers remain outside while Mulan, Shang, and the princesses broke the news to the emperor. There were large sums of resistance from the three men, but eventually, they agreed and allowed the others to enter the palace without them.

It had been a few minutes since the five of them had disappeared passed the gates of the palace, and anxiety regarding the now close future once again swirled in the minds of the three men.

“Gee, what do you think will happen?” Chien Po asked.

“I wouldn’t worry too much,” Yao reassured him, “after all, we’re China’s greatest heroes!”

“I don’t know...” Ling started, “I have a bad feeling about this whole thing”

“Maybe if we go in, we could help explain things,” Chien Po suggested.

“And what would we say!?” Ling mocked, “ _‘I’m sorry, your majesty, but we fell in love with your daughters and the alliance didn’t happen.’_ ?! Yeah, I’m sure he’ll **love** that!” 

“Knock it off!” Yao yelled at him, “Mulan and Shang said they’d handle it and _they will_! Nothing’s going to happen to us; we’ll all be fine!”

By the tone of his voice, it was clear he was the most nervous. They all knew he had fallen the hardest for Mei and was deathly afraid of losing her. The mere speculation that something could go wrong was too much for him. 

“Hey, in the end, it’s not about us anyway,” Ling said, placing a hand on Yao’s arm that was clenched into a tight fist. 

“It’s true,” Chien Po started, “all that matters is that Mulan, Shang, Su, Mei, and Ting Ting are okay. Their well being means more than any relationship with the princesses we have.”

He wasn’t wrong, but his words definitely didn’t make Yao feel any better. He needed to accept that his desires weren’t the most important issue to be addressed at the moment. What would come would come, and there was nothing they could do to change that. All they could do was wait.

Meanwhile, Mulan, Shang, and the princesses had arrived at the doors of the Emperor’s throne room. They were incredibly large and elaborately carved and painted, _and that made them all the more intimidating._ The five of them just stood in front of the large works of art in silence. They were completely paralyzed. 

_One of them had to make the first move. Would that person have to be the one to talk? What would they say? Why didn’t they plan anything? What happens if the Emperor decided to call his guards on Mulan and Shang? Do they go quietly, or should they fight? Stop panicking, it won’t come to that!_

Mulan finally stepped up and knocked on the door. 

“Come in,” a voice responded a few seconds later. _It was the Emperor._

The team entered the throne room timidly, occasionally having to gently nudge one another forward when they froze while making their way down the long rug that led to the Emperor. Once they arrived at the base of the throne, they lowered their heads in a bow, waiting for instruction.

“I received word from Lord Qin about strange events that transpired in Qui Gong,” the Emperor started, “I’ve been awaiting your return for days.”

_Qin had contacted him! He knew! They knew they’d been slow to return, but how could they let this happen? What possible narrative could the king of Qui Gong have sent him? He was clearly displeased with the matter! The five of them started to internally panic. The blood retreated from Mulan’s head and she thought she might lose consciousness._

“The Golden Dragon of Unity is a very powerful spirit, and I’m delighted by what he did for you… _Fūrén Mulan_.”

Mulan looked up in shock. In all the anxiety and fear following their leave from Qui Gong, she’d completely forgotten that Mushu had married the two of them. Shang, who was equally shocked by the revelation of the matter, lifted himself up as well.

“You’re not upset by what happened?” he asked with as much strength as he could muster.

“Mulan was incredibly honorable and brave for trying to secure the alliance herself, but ultimately it was not her destiny to do so,” the Emperor explained, “her fate was to continue life alongside you, Li Shang.”

Color slowly returned to Mulan’s face and she was able to speak again, “We’re sorry we failed our mission, your majesty, but I promise you, Shang and I will do everything in our power to protect the Empire.” 

“And you have my trust. Your mission was to escort my daughters safely to Qui Gong, and you did. The two of you have been outstanding members of my team, and I’m proud to have called on you when I needed help.”

Mulan and Shang smiled at each other as they regained all the hope they had buried after days on the road in nothing but silence and the company of their nightmares.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” they said together as they drew themselves to a bow once again.

“Now, the two of you should head back home,” he said with a smile, “your families will be eager to hear the good news, and I need to have a word alone with my daughters.”

Mulan and Shang gripped each other’s hands and faced the princesses. They looked up the couple hopefully as if relief were written across their faces. Mulan placed an arm on Mei’s shoulder and smiled, mouthing “ _Everything is going to be okay._ ” The five of them looked at one another once more before Mulan and Shang started their walk out of the throne room, never separating their interlocked hands. Once they arrived at the base of the throne room doors, they looked back and waved goodbye before disappearing down the hall.

Once they were gone, the princesses lifted themselves from their bows to face their father, optimistic by the events that have just transpired. They were finally able to breathe again, and they met their father's gaze with smiles. The Emperor examined each of their faces before his own hardened,

**“I have never been more disappointed by the three of you.”**


	3. Disgraces to the Empire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Emperor is anything but pleased with his daughter's actions in Qui Gong. They've not only failed their mission, they've failed their country.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet! Sorry if it's a little off.
> 
> Shoutout to Aariel (my sister), this chapter's editor!

Shock and fear washed over the princesses. _What had just happened? It hadn’t been even two minutes since he'd forgiven Mulan and Shang for what had happened. He had been HAPPY for them? Why was he so upset?_

“So, the three of you perished in an unfortunate river accident?” the Emperor asked accusingly, “At least, that is what Lord Qin had come to believe.” 

“We _did_ lose the royal carriage in the river,” Su tried to explain.

“Why did Mulan lie to Lord Qin, and why did she try to secure the alliance with Qui Gong alone?”

The three girls just stood in silence, eyes shifting towards one another, each sister hoping the next would steal the burden of responding. No one did.

“Qin’s letter detailed the Golden Dragon of Unity’s words. He said you were released from your vow, and free to marry whomever you pleased. Would you care to explain?” He was starting to lose his patience. He needed answers.

Ting Ting finally spoke, “During our journey… our own hearts led us astray from the mission. We- I… have been selfish. We couldn’t bear to go forward with our mission.” As the words left her lips, she hung her head in shame.

The Emperor furrowed his brows tightly, “You three abandoned your mission…” his eyes closed and a wave of anger burned over his face, “...and you failed me!” 

Mei held Ting Ting and Su’s hands, each sister on either side of her. It seemed as though the three of them felt each other’s thoughts. With every piercing word, they could feel each other’s hands clenching tighter. How could they defend their decision? What could they possibly say? 

“And because you broke your vows,” the Emperor scolded, “You have put-”

“But the Golden Dragon of Unity!” Su dared to interject, “He freed us from our vows! We didn’t have to marry the princes anymore!”

“Your vow was NOT for yourself! It was for your kingdom and your people! You defied me, and you defied all of our subjects! You can NOT put your people aside for your own personal desires!” the Emperor shot back.

Tears began to swell in Mei’s eyes, “But that’s not fair!” her voice was a gravelly whisper. She thought of Yao and the happiness she felt with him. 

She thought of Mulan and Shang- how her father had just finished praising them. Mulan didn’t want to marry Prince Jeeki either! She got to follow her heart and marry who she loved! Why couldn’t she follow her heart too and marry Yao? Why wasn’t she allowed to feel true love- like other girls get to! 

“Fa Mulan broke tradition to follow her heart!” her thoughts suddenly turned into words, “She inspired us to do the same! Why is it criminal if we want to follow our hearts, too?!”

Ting Ting and Su released their hands from Mei’s. They were taken aback. _Did Mei just fight back against their father? Was she implying that Mulan should be punished?_ The last thing they wanted was for their decisions to hurt anyone else, especially someone as kind and selfless as Mulan!

“Do not compare your actions to that of Fa Mulan!” he said sternly, “She acted for her father, not herself, and her heroism saved our entire empire. You three betrayed your mission for your own personal desires, and your actions have put the well-being of every man, woman, and child of our kingdom in jeopardy! Do you not realize that now an attack from the Mongolian army is inevitable, and all we can do is wait for them to arrive at our borders!”

The princesses were silent. He was right, they thought. They had acted out of love, but also out of selfishness. They knew they’d failed to secure the alliance, but they hadn’t considered the consequences that would yield. 

“You should be ashamed of yourselves,” he continued. He narrowed his eyes onto Ting Ting, “I especially expected better from you. Not once did I ever expect you to put yourself over your people.”

_It was true. It wasn’t supposed to be her who’d end up disgracing their father. When Mei fell in love with Yao, it was Ting Ting who reminded her of their duty, “A princess must make every sacrifice for her people.” But with Ling, she ended up abandoning her mission too. What had happened? What changed to where she thought this was okay? She’d let down her father, but even worse, her selfishness had caused her to let down her country._

“What about what _we_ want?!” Mei yelled. Ting Ting and Su dared not take her side in front of their father. It would never end well. Mei continued, “Why don’t we get to be happy? Why can’t-”

“That is enough!” the Emperor harshly interrupted, “I have nothing left to say to you three. You are dismissed!”

Mei let out a frustrated scream before storming out of the room. Su and Ting Ting simply stared at her as she left, not knowing what to do. Dwelling in the room in the minutes following, they considered trying to say something to their father but failed to find the words. Defeated, they left the throne room as well.

The walk back to their room felt like one of the longest journeys they’d ever taken. If they’d thought it was torture awaiting their father’s reaction as they made their way back from Qui Gong, then this contemplation of their next decision felt like death itself. There was no sugar-coating the issue; they’d have to make a decision, and any decision they’d make would let someone down, be it their father, the guards they were each in love with, or themselves.. When they finally arrived at their door, they exchanged one more pair of melancholy glances before entering. 

Su immediately threw herself on her bed, gripping her pillows and silently crying. Ting Ting couldn’t help but notice Mei wasn’t anywhere to be seen but didn’t feel like inquiring. Instead, she made her way to the window and opened it to let in a flow of cool night air as she stood there trying to clear her head. In the corner of her eye, she saw Chien Po, Yao, and Ling - who was waving at her. 

_They don’t know. All they saw was Mulan and Shang leaving the palace happily. They had no idea what had just happened._ She guiltily backed away from the window so they couldn’t see her and more importantly, _she couldn’t see them._ They were the last things she wanted to think about right now. 

She sat at her desk and held her face in her hands for some time. _What can I do? What can even be done!? Is it an option to go back to Qui Gong and complete her original mission -- Would that make this all go away? No, their father had made it clear, the alliance had to be formed within three days of their initial journey. It was too late…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mei who burst into the room, no calmer than she was when she had stormed away from their father. _No doubt she’s been about the palace punching walls or breaking vases._

“I’m going to bed!” she said in an aggressive whisper. 

That wasn’t a bad idea. Sleep would do them all well. _Maybe things would make more sense in the morning._ They closed their window, put out their lights, and called it a day. They’d figure out what to tell the soldiers in the morning, but for now, they needed rest. Their long journey and eventful evening had clearly taken a toll on them, as it wasn’t minutes after lying down that they were all fast asleep. Dreams pleasant or not, they were caught inside them as their minds merged the events of the day with their subconscious fears and desires. 

When morning came, Su was awoken by a burst of sunlight in her eye. While the memory of the previous day and everything that happened was still heavily weighing on her, the feeling of anxiety was gone. She was ready to work past what had happened and try to fix things. She didn’t know how, but she finally believed things _could_ get better. She decided to open the window and let in more light to compliment her mood. 

The sound mixed with the breeze that she let in woke up Ting Ting. Her head was still spinning as she raised herself up and opened her eyes. She was taken aback by the amount of sun in the room. _How long had they been asleep? It was almost noon!_ There was so much they needed to talk about. So much they had to do! There was no time for sleeping in. 

She got up to wake up Mei as well. Upon trying to touch her sleeping form she was struck with a grave reality…

**Mei wasn’t there.**

Pillows had been stacked beneath her covers in the form of a body. _She’d planned this._

“Su! Mei’s gone!” Ting Ting cried. 

Su turned around in shock and then ran to Mei’s bed beside her, throwing the pillows one by one aimlessly, hoping that by some miracle Mei was simply sleeping underneath them. 

“WHERE COULD SHE HAVE GONE!?!” Su yelled with tears in her eyes. 

Ting Ting stood there panicking, trying to figure out what she could’ve planned until it dawned on her. _Oh no!_

Ting Ting and Su ran out of the room, through the halls, and outside the palace looking for the soldiers, hoping that this was all just a misunderstanding. Their fears became real when they found them. Ling and Chien Po alone. 

The four faced each other, and without exchanging words they all knew exactly what happened. 

**_Mei and Yao had run away._**


	4. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unaware of the events transpiring at the palace, Mulan and Shang make their way back home to reconnect with their families.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is late, but it is longer than my other ones, so I hope that makes up for that! I hope you like it!
> 
> Oh, and it's worth noting that everything Shang said about his family is pretty much canonical!

By this time, Mulan and Shang had spent about half a day on the road and would arrive back at their village by nightfall. Their conversation with the Emperor had left them in a state of peace and contentment that they hadn’t experienced in quite some time. _Everything just seemed right._

As they made their way through the countryside, they were accompanied mainly by the chirping of birds and the hoof steps of their horses. Mulan couldn’t help but notice that other than an occasional comment she made on the scenery followed by an indication of agreement from Shang, there wasn’t much talking going on between them. This had been less noticeable when they were accompanied by the caravan where she could listen in on Yao, Chien-Po and Ling’s conversations or have enough attention diverted from herself that she could chat with Mushu, but now that it was the two just them, she realized he never really initiated conversation without intent. If he didn’t have something important to say, he didn’t speak. 

“Let’s talk,” she suggested, turning to Shang with a smile.

“Huh?” he responded instinctively before trying to cover his stutter with a cough, “Uh … sure … About what?” 

“I don’t know, I just want to talk to you,” she said, leaning forward into a more relaxed position.

Shang tried his best to stifle his nervous laughter while his eyes raced from her to the road to the sky, looking for something to say. 

Mulan couldn’t help but giggle, _was he always this nervous talking to her?_ Thinking back, he kind of was. When they weren’t fighting for their lives, talking missions, or caught in their recent arguments, he was actually quite shy talking directly to her, especially when he felt put on the spot. From his attempted compliment to her following their triumph over Shan Yu, him coming to her home to return her father’s helmet, and even his first attempted proposal! _He wasn’t very articulate around her, was he?_

“I really don’t know what to say,” he finally admitted after about a minute of awkward silence. 

“Well, let’s see...” Mulan started, holding a hand to her chin trying to think of a conversation topic, “Oh, I’ve got it! What’s your family like? I do find it a little strange that we’re engaged … technically married now, and I haven’t actually met them.”

“Oh, you’re not missing much,” Shang assured her.

“What do you mean?”

“Well … now that my father is gone,” he said before pausing to take a breath and organize his thoughts. When he finally exhaled he was able to continue, “... Now that my father is gone, it’s just me and my mother. She’s amazing and I love her, but she’s not very fun.”

Mulan stared at him with both concern and intrigue, urging him to continue. 

“My mother’s very strict. She’s always run the house as though she was a general … and in a way, she is.” he explained, the revelation making him think a bit, “She’s very ‘by the book’. She loves order and tradition.” He let out a soft chuckle as he thought, “Of course that didn’t leave much room for causing mischief and acting out. Like any general, she also believed in military-level discipline! I remember one time when I was six, I tried to sneak off to battle with my father! When I was caught, I got such a beating from her!”

The two chuckled together for a bit before he continued, “You know, before the Hun invasion, she was obsessed with me getting married. She never really wanted me to get involved with the military. She wanted to make sure I honored our family by finding the ‘perfect bride’” 

“Mine too,” Mulan said, pushing the hair from her face, “they said the only way to honor our name was to impress the matchmaker and strike a good match.” 

“My mother had me meet so many girls trying to set up a match herself! It was torturous!”

“You think that’s bad?! During my meeting, I accidentally set the matchmaker on fire!” 

There was a few seconds of silence before the two burst out in hysterical laughter. They nearly suffocated before they could stop, struggling to exchange short dialogues through their laughter. _“HOW!?” “I DON’T KNOW!”_ Finally, they calmed down and began to wipe the tears from their eyes.

“Your mother sounds wonderful, Shang. I can’t wait to meet her.” Mulan assured him with a smile. 

Shang exchanged a soft smile back before urging his horse to ride ahead.

  
  


It was late evening when the couple finally arrived back at their village. Shang escorted Mulan back to her home where the two were immediately greeted by her parents and grandmother, who had been anxiously awaiting their return. It was amazing how close all of them had grown. Shang was no outsider, he was part of their family now, and they treated him as such. They eagerly invited him inside for tea and a meal, which he couldn’t bear to turn down. Through their dinner, they insisted on every last detail of their journey, from every event leading up to the river accident, to whether or not the prince of Qui Gong was handsome (Grandmother Fa’s inquiry). 

“You’ve been through quite a lot. I’m glad the two of you are safe.” Fa Zhou said gently with a heartfelt smile. 

“And I’m glad you weren’t married off to some weirdo from another country!” Grandma Fa added. 

“Mother!” Fa Li hushed, before regaining her train of thought, “We’re so happy to have both of you home.” she said, gesturing to Mulan and Shang who smiled at each other.

“And happy that we can now move forward with the ceremonies,” Fa Zhou added, raising his teacup to the two of them.

“Speaking of which, Li Shang, when shall we meet with your mother?” Fa Li asked him.

“Yes,” Fa Zhou agreed, “we need to plan the events, and negotiate a dowry.”

“Of course. How does tomorrow evening sound?” 

“It sounds perfect!” Mulan responded, turning to her parents who both nodded in agreement.

“Great!” Shang said, placing a hand on the back of his neck, “I’ll let her know.”

By the time they finished their meal and wrapped up their goodbyes, it was past midnight. Shang waved to the family a final time before finally taking leave of their estate. As he rode away, he couldn’t help but think about how much he loved them, and how different they were from his own family and cloud of family friends. The Fas were so open with their thoughts and opinions, _especially Mulan’s grandmother_. His ring, however, was much more reserved and elegant. _Specifically the women._ He thought back to all the girls his mother had introduced him to. They were like machines! How they stood there covering their emotions with their fans, batting their eyes, and agreeing with whatever he said in an effort to take his name. _He could never have married a girl like that!_ That’s one of the reasons he loved Mulan. She acted like herself around him; she spoke her mind.

When he arrived at his home it was dark and late. He lit the candle left near the front door and made his way to the nearest chair. The long journey had finally caught up with him and all his muscles wanted to collapse at once. About half a minute into his rest he heard footsteps down the hall.

“Shang? Is that you?” a voice called.

He turned his head to see a tall, slender woman holding a candle staring at him from the other side of the room.

Shang immediately smiled at the sight of her and stood up. “Mother!” he said enthusiastically before rushing into an embrace.

_Her name was Shu._

_She had been the matriarch of the Li family for many years following the death of General Li’s mother. She was obsessed with honoring her role to the fullest and doing whatever it took to uplift the Li name. She had become known for her amazing ability to organize gatherings between high ranking military officials, which she did often to aid Shang’s father, while always keeping a calm demeanor and looking better than presentable. She was a walking image of stability and order._

  
  


“Shang, it’s so late! You know I’ve been worried sick about you for days!” she scolded him.

“I’m sorry, Māmā. I took Mulan home, and got caught at the house of Fa,” he explained.

“I see,” she responded, stiffening her face.

Shang could sense what was coming and became nervous, but knew he had to speak, “While we’re on the subject, they’d like to meet with you tomorrow evening … to discuss the wedding preparations.”

At that, Shu’s expression turned from that of disregard to anger.

**“I’ve told you already. I don’t bless your relationship with Fa Mulan!”**


	5. Houses of Li and Fa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shu is not a big fan of Mulan's record, but Shang's mind is set. Now everything stands in her inevitable meeting with the Fa family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really tried hard to make this chapter feel as natural as possible. I wanted to focus in on Shang's perspective on the issue and delve into his thoughts, which I see as being much more anxious and unsure than his outward demeanor.

This was no news to him, it had been known. Since he had revealed his interest in Mulan to his mother, she had been anything but supportive of his decision. In the month following, she had done all she could to change his mind. She’d insisted that she had the finest girls in China lined up for his choosing. When he showed no interest, she pushed the fact that he was still young and that there was no need for him to rush into such a life-changing decision. She turned to experts on horoscopes and fortune tellers in an effort to extract any reason the two shouldn’t be together, but Shang would hear none of it, insisting that Mulan and he were a perfect match. She’d only learned of Shang’s planned proposal the morning of, and wasn’t able to restrain him before he left to do so. Once the deed was done, he and Mulan had been summoned by the Emperor for their mission, and she hadn’t seen him until now. 

For the longest time, Shang had been avoiding any notion of Mulan or her family meeting his mother, in fear that she would scare them away from him. He’d hoped he could warm her up to them before their inevitable encounter, but as their engagement had now been set in place and marriage dawned on them, it became clear that a smooth transition wasn’t going to occur.

“Mother, I really don’t understand the issue with this...” Shang tried to comment.

“Shang, a son of Li should be wedding a woman of the court or the nobility! Not simple countrymen,” Shu replied.

“Mulan is the daughter of Fa Zhou! He was one of father’s most trusted soldiers!” Shang hated having to reduce Mulan’s worth to her family, but he knew what his mother responded to. 

“He was simply a soldier Shang. Your father was a general. _You are a general!_ Fa Mulan will bring no honor to the House of Li,” Shu asserted.

“No honor?!” Shang questioned, completely taken aback, “She’s the hero of China! She saved every single one of us! She...”

“And she did so through lies and deception! She betrayed her family and her role in it!” Shu interjected, “One miracle is not enough to justify the defiance of generations of tradition! A girl like her will bring nothing but misfortune to our home!”

Her words hurt him. Not because he agreed with what she said in the slightest, but because this must’ve been how he sounded to Mulan throughout their mission. _How he had mocked her when she told him she felt a duty to her heart. How he scolded her on her disregard for rules and tradition. The very things that made her stand out in the first place; the things that made her who she was! What was he thinking!? Why should tradition interfere in doing the right thing? It shouldn’t! There was no reason for anyone to undermine Mulan’s actions and heroism for the fact that she “broke the rules”._ He needed his mother to know he was serious about this and that she wasn’t going to change his mind, only then might she respond.

“Mother,” Shang started with as much confidence as he could muster, “this is going to happen either way ... so I am asking you to meet with the Fa family and be a part of the customs and ceremonies. If you choose not to, that is your decision, but it won’t stop mine.” He could feel tears forming in the corners of his eyes, but he maintained a stiff face as he asserted himself.

Shu gave him a look that told all. She clearly had no desire to meet with the Fas, but she knew Shang was serious. He’d go through with this with or without her; he was very stubborn that way. Allowing him to wed without her approval would be worse for their family’s image than his wedding Mulan in general. With that, she reluctantly agreed to the meeting and the two called it a night.

The next morning filled Shang with both relief and further apprehension. He’d finally gotten his mother to agree to a meeting with Mulan’s family, but he now had no idea how this meeting would go. Shu still didn’t want the two of them together. Would she assert that? Or would she accept his decision in light of his ultimatum? 

He spent the day trying to plan out every possible scenario he could in his mind, hoping to cover all the possible bases he could. He occasionally tried to inform his mother of simple facts about the family and certain things she should and shouldn’t say, to which she harshly responded that she knew what she was doing; this did anything but ease Shang’s tension, but it was all he would get from her.

As evening drew near, the two finally began to make their way to the house of Fa. When they arrived Shang could see that Mulan had taken what he had told him about his mother to heart. In light of her traditional nature, Mulan had put up her short hair best she could and wore an elaborate dress in an effort to make a good first impression. The revelation that she had considered taking those steps helped to ease some of his tension. _Not that it should matter. His mother should learn to accept her either way!_ Shang mentally scolded himself, not sure what he should think at this point. 

The two of them were greeted at the gate by Fa Zhou and Fa Li, who both did a quick bow in respect to Tàitài Shu before helping to escort their horses into the stable and leading them all inside. There, they entered a small sitting area, where Shu chose the corner seat stationed farthest away from Mulan’s grandmother and the Fa couple. Not long after, Mulan arrived with a tray of teacups, that she simply handed out in order of whoever was closest to her as she rounded the area, earning a scoff from Shu who by coincidence happened to receive her’s last. 

“In our day, we served our elders first,” she whispered to Shang before lifting the cup to her lips.

Shang wiped a hand down his face at her comment as Mulan seated himself next to him. 

“You alright?” she asked him.

Shang immediately put his hand down, “Yes... I’m fine,” he responded much faster than he intended.

“If you say so,” Mulan said skeptically as she smiled at him. A few seconds later, she placed her hand on his before leaning next to his ear, “Your mother is really pretty by the way,” she whispered. 

Shang just looked at her for a moment, not knowing what to say before Fa Zhou relieved the burden by breaking the silence. 

“I would like to welcome you to our home,” he said, gesturing to Shu, “your husband was an honorable man, and the two of you have raised an amazing son. You should be very proud.”

Shu looked at Shang before facing Fa Zhou once again, “Thank you. I am.”

Shang could’ve sworn he saw a slight smile forming in the corner of her lips when she spoke, and it sent a bit of joy circulating through him. He hadn’t gotten such validation from her in quite some time.

“My husband often wasn’t around, so I did my best to raise Li Shang myself,” she sipped a bit of her tea before continuing, “well versed in our traditions and properly disciplined.”

“Well you did a wonderful job,” Fa Li assured her, “Shang is a fine young man. One of the most tactical minds I’ve ever encountered!”

“He’s handsome too,” Grandma Fa added, “his dad wasn’t much to look at, but meeting you, I finally see where Shang gets it!”

Her comment earned a small death glare from Fa Li, a smirk from Fa Zhou, a silent giggle from Mulan, and a look of pure shock and dread from Shang. Meanwhile, Shu was taken aback and took a few moments to regain her composure before responding with a hesitant, “Yes.”

When Fa Zhou finally finished his tea, he placed his cup on the table and lightly clapped his hands together, “Now, why don’t we begin our discussion?”


	6. Reflect Before You Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We know how Shang's day went following his dinner with the Fas, but what happened to them after he left for home? Here are the events that went down in the Fa household!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that wen Mulan gets nervous, she asks herself a hundred questions in her mind trying to navigate a situation, so in this chapter, I tried to convey that kind of mindset. The thought process she goes through, and the worry that accompanies it. It's a kind of fear of the unknown.
> 
> I'd like to shoutout my sister Aariel (@animagix101), because she's basically the reason this chapter exists. I was kind of just ready to move to the next scene, but she stopped me because she felt it was important to show the events from Mulan's perspective, and I think it turned out very nice, so I'm happy she did <3

Following Shang’s leave the previous night, a quite different set of events were transpiring in the house of Fa. With the revelation that Tàitài Shu would be visiting the next day, they were determined to make a good first impression. Mulan flinched in dread at what was coming…

“Well you know what that means,” Fa Li declared, “we have to clean the house!”

_Yep, that was it._

Mulan got stuck with the task of sweeping the house, which she didn’t mind much. It was actually quite therapeutic. _Back and forth, and back and forth._ She lost herself in the motion until she felt a small creature snake its way up her back and perch itself on her neck.

“How you doing?” Mushu asked her.

“Great! I honestly can’t wait to meet Shang’s mother and finally start the ceremonies!” she said happily before the implications of the matter struck her, “Oh, Mushu! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean...”

In her excitement of the upcoming meeting and the likely events to follow, she’d completely forgotten Mushu’s plight. Once her and Shang were officially married, the Li family guardians would take over, and he would lose his position! 

“No, it’s fine. Don’t you worry about me,” he reassured her, “I meant are you nervous?”

“Nervous? About what?” 

“Meeting Shang’s mother!”

“No...” Mulan hadn’t even considered any reaction other than joy, “should I be?”

“I mean, I’m not trying to say nothing, but let’s just remember Pretty Boy’s from high society! And he _did_ say his mom was very traditional and strict-like.”

Mulan stopped sweeping, “You’re right… Do you think there’ll be a problem?”

“I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think it would be a bad idea to take some precautions,” he suggested before scurrying away.

Mulan resumed her chores, her head now swirling with thoughts as Mushu’s warning resonated in her mind. _What possible problems could come up? What should she do to be safe? What if Shang’s mother just didn’t like her!_

After sweeping, she wet a cloth to wipe the dust off of all the hard surfaces, while getting into an internal battle with herself. _Why wouldn’t she like you? Well just look at you! Your hair is short! How disrespectful to your family to chop it off like that! And like the matchmaker said, you’re too skinny! You must not be healthy! Feel those hands of yours! They’re coarse from long months of military training! Not soft like a girl’s hands should be!_

As thoughts stormed inside her, Mulan lost track of time, as everything felt suspended within her inner turmoil. She’d somehow found herself mindlessly wiping the wooden trim of the walls when she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

She turned around, startled, to see her mother, who had a look of slight concern on her face when she saw her. It was clear that the weight of Mulan’s thoughts had taken a toll on her as her cheeks were red and her eyes were tired and bloodshot with stress. 

“It looks fine, darling,” Fa Li assured her, gently leading her away from the work she was doing, “all you need to worry about is getting to bed.”

She walked Mulan back to her room and instructed her to get some sleep. The house was clean, and her father and grandmother had called it a night hours ago. Fa Li had only realized Mulan was still up when she checked to make sure all the candles had been blown out. It was early morning now, and the last thing any of them needed was to be lethargic tomorrow. 

The two bid each other a good night before making their separate ways. Upon entering her room, Mulan was greeted by an energetic Little Brother whom she had woken up from his slumber. She stroked the dog’s head a few times before lightly shushing him, telling him to go back to sleep. Once he was appeased, she unceremoniously threw herself onto the bed and groaned into her pillow. 

“Wow! You look awful!” Mushu informed her as he scurried up by her side. 

“Thanks,” she sarcastically responded, a look of annoyance on her face before it once again changed to one of worry, “Mushu, what if you’re right? What if Shang’s mother doesn’t like me?”

“That’s what you’re worried about!? I just wanted you to think about it, not go into a panic! You don’t have to worry! You’re more than any old ‘perfect bride’, you’re a girl worth fighting for!”

She thought about what he said and tried to believe it, but ultimately looked back to him for further guidance. 

“Everything’ll be fine,” he reassured her, slightly patting her head, “Cri-Kee, get in here! Our girl needs some auditory relaxation!”

Mulan laughed a little, “Mushu, I’m fine. I just...” but before she finished, she found the small cricket by her bedpost, chirping his song. She gave a lighthearted sigh, “That actually _does_ help. Thank you,” she told the insect before turning back to Mushu, “and thank _you_. You really are my most trusted friend.” She gave him a tired smile and kissed his forehead, before settling down and drifting into a slumber.

The next morning, Mulan woke to the slight tapping of her father, who wanted to make sure she didn’t sleep in too late. She went about her morning routine before settling back into her room, in front of her mirror. There was still so much to do. So much to prepare for. She still needed to make a good impression. _Everything had to be perfect_. 

She ruled it best to set Little Brother outside in an effort to prevent any possible mishaps with the energetic pup, and then focused more on herself. She spent the remainder of the morning studying the Admonition Scrolls she had stored away in her room. She wasn’t exactly sure if anything would come up, but she was determined to have an answer to any possible question.

After that, she approached her closet. While she loved her normal attire, today was about presenting herself in an ideal way. She flipped and pushed through her various outfits before finally finding a suitable dress. The skirt was long, the sleeves would drape over her hands, and she could tell it would be a nightmare to put on with its various parts, but _it was perfect_. 

She spent at least forty minutes wrestling with the various fabrics, restraints, and sashes before she finally got the outfit on correctly. Staring at her reflection once again, she still didn’t look right. She tied her hair back, struggling to keep it up with its length, but eventually succeeding at forming a small bun. 

_Makeup! I need makeup!_

Before she knew it, she had arranged an assortment of cosmetics in front of her mirror, and settled herself on the floor. The only problem now, she didn’t really know how to apply it. She had never experimented much with makeup growing up. She had always preferred to spend her days outside making a mess, not learning to properly doll herself up. _No wonder I needed so much help for my meeting with the matchmaker. I’m clueless!_ Nevertheless, she tried. 

Small screams in frustration and groans could be heard from outside of her closed door, but it wasn’t until the shatter of a bowl was heard followed by defeated cries from Mulan that her grandmother entered the room. One of her bowls of pigment had dropped and broken, staining her dress, and now her crying was further causing her makeup to ruin.

“What are you doing!?” Grandma Fa asked, an outraged tone in her voice.

Mulan turned to her in a panic, not realizing she was in the room, “I was just… and then it fell… and now… You could hear me?” Blood rushed to her cheeks in embarrassment. 

“The whole house could hear you,” she mocked as she knelt down and started picking up the small shattered pieces. 

Mulan immediately began to help her, fetching a broom to sweep up the powder. Once the mess on the floor was under control, Grandma Fa took her to be cleaned up. She was able to successfully salvage her dress before moving on to her face, wiping off the hardened product with a damp rag. 

“What were you thinking, getting all worked up about this?” she asked her, gesturing to the makeup sticking to the cloth.

“I just want to make sure nothing goes wrong with Shang’s mother,” Mulan admitted, “what if she doesn’t like me?”

“And what of it!?” her grandma scoffed, “you making up a fake personality now won’t change who you are later!”

Mulan looked down, a bit ashamed, “I know… you’re right...”

“Besides,” Grandma Fa continued, placing a hand on Mulan’s cheek, “you’re strong! You’re beautiful! You have nothing to be ashamed of! Just be yourself! It was girls like your mother that had stuff like this to worry about. You? You’ll be fine.”

Mulan smiled and leaned into her hand, finally beginning to feel a little better about her situation. Her grandma was right, she just needed to calm down. _Just be yourself. Don’t worry about it. Just be yourself._

It was early evening when Shang and his mother arrived at their estate. Her parents went outside to greet them while she waited by the porch with her grandmother, anxiousness filling her once again. _Just be yourself! Everything will be fine!_

The Lis were led inside, where they settled themselves in the sitting area. Mulan stood next to her father, who slightly tapped her leg with his cane, breaking her mini trance.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he whispered to her.

 _Forgetting something..? What am I… oh right! The tea!_ Mulan quickly scurried off into the kitchen and served the tea that had been left there to boil. _Calm down! You’re not thinking straight! You have no reason to be so nervous!_ She placed the cups on the serving tray and made her way back to the sitting area, nearly tripping on her long skirt twice. _What is wrong with you!?_

Mulan shook the thoughts away and started distributing the cups. Her parents gave her a bit of a shocked look as she passed them out; she couldn't place their concern. _Was it too cold? Did she use the wrong cups? Had she spilled something on her dress when she almost fell!?_ It wasn’t until she handed the last cup to Shang’s mother that her error had struck her. _You served your guest last! The one person you’ve been worried about! The ONE PERSON you need to impress today! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!_

Mulan’s head started to spin and she nearly spilled her tea as she sat down next to Shang. She rubbed the tension from her forehead before turning to him. He had a hand across his face and looked more defeated than she did! _Was it her? Was that why he was upset!?_

“You alright?” she asked him.

Upon hearing her question, he immediately put his hand down, “Yes... I’m fine.” 

_He knew what she did! He was trying to hide it, but he noticed too!_

“If you say so,” she responded. There was no reason for her to inquire and put him on the spot. Especially in front of their parents. _Well say something then! You can’t just leave it at that!_

“Your mother is really pretty by the way,” she whispered to him. It wasn’t a lie, that was actually one of the first things she noticed upon seeing her. She looked so put together… _and perfect._

Shang just stared at her, sending shivers down her spine. _Did she say something wrong? Was it disrespectful to call her pretty? Should she have said something else, like elegant or lovely? How could today be going so wrong? Please make this silence end!_ Her father finally spoke, and it felt like he lifted an enormous weight off her soul.

“I would like to welcome you to our home,” he said, gesturing to Shu, “your husband was an honorable man, and the two of you have raised an amazing son. You should be very proud.”

Shu looked at Shang before turning back to her father, “Thank you. I am.”

She could see Shang seem to light up with pride, his shoulders rising and a small smile forming on his lips. The thought of his mother’s words having such an effect on him filled her with joy. She loved seeing him happy with himself.

“My husband often wasn’t around, so I did my best to raise Li Shang myself,” she sipped a bit of her tea before continuing, “well versed in our traditions and properly disciplined.”

“Well you did a wonderful job,” Fa Li assured her, “Shang is a fine young man. One of the most tactical minds I’ve ever encountered!”

“He’s handsome too,” Grandma Fa added, “his dad wasn’t much to look at, but meeting you, I finally see where Shang gets it!”

Mulan couldn’t help but laugh at the comment. _It was so wrong! She needed that._ Reading everyone’s expressions, it was clear they were equally taken aback; her mother wanting to scold her grandma, her father’s amused smirk, and Shang’s look of pure shock. Even the stiff and well-composed Tàitài Shu had to take a few moments before responding with a “yes.” Mulan liked it. It humanized her, made her feel like one of them.

When her father finally finished his tea, he placed his cup on the table and lightly clapped his hands together, “Now, why don’t we begin our discussion?”


	7. Truths in Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fas are ready to start planning a wedding and a union, but we know Shu is less than enthused. How will she respond to the matter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what you'll think of this chapter. I read through it 100 times and I still can't figure out if it sounds good or not! 
> 
> Sorry if the chapter title doesn't fit, I couldn't think of what to call it!!!!!!
> 
> Another note, the story Mulan tells is also canonical!!!!!

The families discussed everything from food to guests to trusted tailors to buy outfits from, and to Shang’s shock, his mother was responding completely normally. While she clearly wasn’t leaping with joy, she wasn’t expressing any distaste or anger towards the Fa family. Maybe what he had told his mother had gotten through to her. _This could work out after all._

“Of course, we need to establish a date for the ceremonies to begin,” Fa Li chimed in.

“Yes, I say sometime in the coming weeks,” Fa Zhou suggested.

“Coming weeks?!” Shu repeated in shock, “If I’m not mistaken, the children have just returned from a trip out of the country! Is it not tradition that the young bride reside only in her home in the months before her marriage?”

Mulan hadn’t even considered that! She knew it was a custom, but the issue had never crossed her mind. 

“Yes,” Fa Li started, “but don’t you think we’ve all waited long enough? I’m sure no one would mind if we overlooked such formalities.”

Shu raised a finger up, about to speak, before having her arm slightly touched by Shang, who gave her a look reminding her of what they’d discussed prior. She subtly swatted his hand away, but had gotten the point. 

“...of course,” she reluctantly agreed.

“Excellent!” Fa Zhou replied happily, “After all, like the streams swell and dry, and the seasons shift, our world adapts. Small changes and twists to the way things have been are part of nature.”

Shu lightly rolled her eyes at his statement. _Nature is predictable. It changes in cycles and these changes are expected and constant. Winter arrives at roughly the same time each year. It’s never skipped._

Shang knew what she was thinking; she hated hearing anything that tried to justify the defiance of tradition. He tried to hide the conflict in his mind and turned to Mulan, who was hunched forward with her hands folded on her lap, staring into space. The two of them sat amidst the conversation feeling a bit trapped. While the discussion was about their marriage, they weren’t very involved in it. Neither dared to interrupt anyone who was speaking, so they both just sat between their parents in an awkward silence.

Upon noticing their discomfort, Fa Li chimed in,“Mulan, can you go out back and check on the dog? I thought I heard him scratching the door earlier... Why don’t you go with her, Shang?”

Mulan silently thanked her and led Shang through the back door. Upon emerging outside Mulan, let out a sigh of relief.

“I don’t know about you, but I was dying in there!” she said with a slight giggle as Little Brother ran up to her and started jumping on her legs.

Shang, who was still in a slight trance, took a second to process what she said before responding, “Oh.. yes!”

Mulan’s smile faded, “Shang, I know something’s bothering you. You can tell me.”

“What? No... I’m fine!” he insisted. 

She knew he was lying, but if he wasn’t comfortable telling her, then she wasn’t going to force it. She just hated seeing him so worried and lost. 

The two of them strolled the estate, Little Brother chasing them as they walked. They greeted the horses in the stable with some friendly scratches and then carried on together before settling themselves on the bench beneath the cherry blossom tree. 

“Weren’t we just supposed to check on your dog and go inside?” Shang asked her.

Mulan lifted the pup onto her lap, “Okay, for one, his name is Little Brother...” she emphasized, waving the dog’s paw at him.

“Sorry, my bad,” Shang chuckled, putting his hands up in defense. 

“For two, no. My mom just said that to get us out of the house. She knew that we weren’t really part of the conversation, and saw how uncomfortable I was. She’s good at that.”

“Oh...”

The two of them admired the scenery and the serenity of the environment for some time, before Shang turned to her once again.

“Why Little Brother? I mean, it’s a cute name, but a little strange.”

Mulan let go of the dog’s paw and started stroking his head, a melancholy look on her face, “Well… my parents. They always wanted a son. It was never expected that it wouldn’t happen. They tried for many years before learning that my mother couldn’t have any more children. We were all devastated, so my grandfather decided to try and cheer us up with a gift. It was a puppy; he told me he would be my little brother… and... well, the name stuck.”

“Oh. Mulan, I had no idea. I didn’t mean to pry,” Shang said, not knowing what else he could add.

“You didn’t pry, you just asked!” she assured him, “besides, I like telling you things. You’re very easy to talk to, and I feel like I can be myself around you.”

Her statement filled him with both joy and guilt. He was more than happy knowing she felt comfortable confiding in him, but at the same time, he didn’t confide in her. He didn’t want her thinking he was hiding things from her, but at the same time, how could he tell her that his mother wasn’t happy with their relationship? He knew her too well. If she knew that, she’d find every reason to blame herself. _To change herself!_ That’s the last thing he wanted. His mind raced back to the court women his mother had introduced him to, and he shuddered at the very thought. He couldn’t live with himself if his mother ever turned her into that!

“Mulan, can you do me a favor?” he said, turning to her and lightly grabbing her hands.

“Of course!”

“Please, no matter what happens, or what anyone says to you, don’t ever change.”

 _She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but it wasn’t that. Why would she change? Was she expected to change?_ She struggled to find the words to respond when they heard a faint voice in the distance.

_“Mulan! Shang!” it called._

Mulan recognized the voice as her father’s, “We should head back,” she said, getting up and dusting the fur off her skirt before extending an arm out to Shang. As they started down the path, she couldn’t help but notice the sun was already setting. _How long had it been?_

The two returned to the house where a very excited Fa Li waited for them on the back porch. Once Mulan was in her reach, she grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer, causing her to nearly fall. She then began to straighten out her skirt and pick petals off of her.

“Mulan, we have a date set for the wedding!” she said excitedly, “It’s in two weeks!”

“Oh, that’s great!” Mulan managed to work in before her mother spun her around and started fixing her hair.

“Tàitài Shu would like to speak with you privately, dear. To get to know you better.” 

“She wants to talk to me… alone?” Mulan asked, louder than she would’ve hoped.

Shang heard this and fear ran through him. _What could he do? What could he say? Was this even a bad thing? It was bound to happen! Don’t worry! Everything will be fine!_

“Yes,” Fa Li told her before seeing the look on her face, “don’t be so nervous! Just be yourself and everything will be fine!” she assured her before leading her towards the door. 

Mulan took a deep breath before entering the house. She scanned the area before spotting Shu seated in the den and timidly made her way towards her. _Act natural! You look so stupid! Why are you so nervous!? If Shang’s family, then his mother is family too!_

“Hello, Fa Mulan,” Shu said gently.

“Hello, Ma’am,” Mulan responded as genuinely as she could. _“Ma’am”? Was that the right word? Or was it “M’Lady”? No, probably not… Why can’t I think?!_

“Please, sit,” Shu instructed, kindly gesturing to the chair next to her.

Mulan shyly sat down, struggling to keep her posture while avoiding eye contact. 

“Tell me, Fa Mulan, what are your opinions on tradition?”

“Tradition… Well, tradition is an important part of maintaining our culture, and passing on our heritage...” Mulan wasn’t sure she understood the question, was she asking her if she _liked_ tradition?

“So you think tradition is important to adhere and respect?” Shu asked her intently.

“Of course!”

“Really?... Because I just finished a discussion with your parents, and I’ve heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan. You were deemed unfit to wed by the matchmaker, you spoke out against a member of the Emperor’s council, you dishonored your parents by cutting your hair, you ran away from home and broke the law to join the imperial army,” Shu rose from her seat before continuing, “you then convince my son to pursue you without my consent, and agree to an engagement without consulting or even meeting with me or any member of his family...” 

At this point, Mulan, who was mortified with every word that escaped her lips, had gotten up as well. Shu was significantly taller than Shang and towered over her, making her all the more intimidating. 

“The House of Li is one of envy and respect. We’ve earned that title through generations of order and loyalty. Not through lies and deception! _Not like you._ ”

“Wait,” Mulan dared to speak, “then why did you agree to the marriage?”

“My son is insistent he wants to marry you,” she said with a scowl, “he was willing to go through with the marriage with or without me.”

“He… he was?”

“But I know who you are! I know what your family is! The misdeeds of Fa Deng! The cover-up!”

“How did you…?”

“You will bring nothing but misfortune to our name! You can marry my son, but I will not bless your incorporation into the House of Li!”

Mulan was on the brink of tears. This was everything she had feared and more. Not only did Shang’s mother not accept her, she was ripping the two of them apart! _What can I do? What can I do???_

“Please tell me how to fix this! I don’t know what you want from me!” She pleaded desperately, no longer able to choke back her cries. 

“I want nothing,” Shu stated, a sudden sense of calm washing over her voice, “the two of you are adults. You can make your own decisions. After all, this is _your_ choice. Not mine.”

She lifted her chin and started walking towards the door. Once it was open and she was halfway through it, she turned back to face Mulan. 

“Just know that I am the Matriarch of the Li household. I control it, I maintain stability and order, and I keep it _spotless_.”

With that, there was a door slam and Shu was out of sight. Mulan tried to grab her arms to control her tremors, but ultimately fell to her knees and started to silently cry. _What had just happened? What was going to happen from here? How would she tell her parents? How would she tell Shang? Should she even tell them?_ She felt so lost. _So helpless._

She emerged out the back door slowly and saw her parents happily talking to Shang. The sky was now painted with stars, but it was the black ambiance behind them that matched how she felt inside. Upon seeing her, Shang immediately rushed up to her side, a look of urgency on his face. 

“How’d it go?” He asked worriedly. 

That was all Mulan needed to realize what had happened. _He knew… He had known the whole time! THAT’S WHY HE HAD BEEN SO NERVOUS! That’s what he was worried about! He knew his mother didn’t accept her… and worse… he didn’t think to tell her!? She could’ve mentally prepared! Or at least had some idea of what she was getting into! But no! How could he do this to her!?_

“It went fine,” She responded coldly, “your mother is waiting for you in the front,” she said as she quickly walked away so he couldn’t see her eyes beginning to swell again. 

_She couldn't help but feel betrayed. Like he’d let her walk into fire._

Shang tried to reach out, but she didn’t respond and he ruled it best to return home for the night and try to get some answers from his mother. As he walked out, Mulan glanced back at him only to see him looking towards her, his face full of concern. Upon meeting his eyes she immediately turned away again.

**_Why did everything have to go so wrong for her?_ **


	8. A Royal Scandal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at the Imperial Palace, the issue of Mei and Yao's desertion must be addressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is late and so short! I'm actually posting 2 chapters today! They were originally grouped together, but I decided the narratives were too different.

The day prior, things were not faring much better in the Imperial Palace. The princesses nor the soldiers had any prior knowledge of Mei and Yao’s departure, and that made the event so much more frightening. No one knew when this was planned and where the two of them could’ve possibly gone. 

**Even worse, the Emperor wasn’t yet aware of Mei’s truancy.**

_ Should they tell him or do they leave him to find out himself? Would they be betraying Mei and Yao by informing him? If they don’t tell him, will he suspect them as accomplices!? And if so, what about Ling and Chien Po?! What will become of them? Should they make a run for it? Or would that make things even worse? _

After harsh but heartfelt deliberations and debates, the four finally ruled it best to tell the Emperor themselves, mainly for the safety of the two remaining men.  _ They weren’t part of this, so it wouldn’t be fair to let them take the fall. They didn’t deserve to suffer the consequences for Mei and Yao’s actions. _

It was early afternoon when the four of them arrived at the large doors of the throne room. While they knew the matter was urgent, they didn’t want to take any drastic actions that would upset their father. Ting Ting timidly grabbed the door handle, memories of their last conversation flooding her mind as she touched it.  _ He won’t listen. You heard him yesterday! He’ll probably be glad that Mei left!  _ She took a deep breath to cleanse her mind before finally knocking it against the door.

“Enter.” the Emperor responded after a few moments.

The team made their way inside respectfully, but quickly, not wanting to waste any time despite the numbness that took over their legs as they came closer to the throne.

A slight look of annoyance grazed the Emperor’s face as he recognized his two daughters as part of the team that had interrupted his meeting. 

“Please keep this brief, I am quite busy and I don’t have time for light affairs right now!” 

There was a small team of advisors surrounding him presenting piles of charts and scrolls alongside various figurines positioned on a table map.  _ They were planning for a war.  _

“We’re so sorry to intrude, your majesty,” Chien Po started, his hands together, and his head down in a bow, “but we have a matter of the utmost urgency!”

His statement got the Emperor’s attention, and he held his hand up to the men he had been talking to focus his attention on what they had to say.

“Mei is missing!” Su finally cried, “We can’t find her anywhere!”

“We’re afraid she’s run away!” Ting Ting added, a tone of urgency in her voice.

“What!?” The Emperor’s annoyance was now replaced by anger as he rose from his seat. 

“We have absolutely no idea when she left and where she went!” Ting Ting immediately added, trying to offset any suspicion, not quite sure whether she’s succeeded or just made it worse.

While clearly still upset with his daughters by the events of the day prior, he wasn’t going to just accept the situation and allow Mei to leave. He immediately called on his men to scour the land in search of the missing princess, intent on getting her back safely and surely, the utmost urgency in his gesture.

Once the order was given, he sat back on his throne and stroked his beard in immense contemplation. Something in this story simply wasn’t adding up for him.  _ Mei simply packing up and leaving didn’t seem plausible. There had to be a piece missing. _

“And to your knowledge, she acted alone?” he asked the party, who remained in the room. 

The four looked at each other, wondering what to do.  _ They knew if Mei was brought back, she’d be extremely upset with them, maybe even never forgive them, but at the least everyone would remain safe. Yao was a different story. They had tried to keep from mentioning his involvement, knowing that if they did, the narrative may turn to one of a possible abduction, and he could face great consequences for such a crime, one of which could possibly include death. _

Noting their reluctance to respond, the Emperor’s gaze intensified, focusing in on Ling who had yet to speak. 

It was too much for him. The implications of his silence would be worse than the truth, and the last thing he wanted to be known for was lying to the Emperor’s face! “This morning, our friend was also missing,” he admitted, hanging his head in shame at the betrayal he’d just committed.

Chien Po, Su, and Ting Ting were shocked by his decision as well, but ultimately understood his reasoning. While they still felt the circumstances were dreadful, there was really no other choice. They couldn’t hold it against Ling for trying to protect himself in this situation.  _ He felt awful enough about it as it is. _

Seeing as their colleague was involved in the scandal, the Emperor took it upon himself to interrogate both Ling and Chien Po. By the end of their conversation, his limits had been pushed to their maximum, and the situation had become further strained. While his questioning asserted the fact that they had no information about the runaway at hand, it also revealed their involvement with his daughters and the failure to unite China and Qui Gong. As a man of honor, he recognized that they had violated no laws through their actions and acquitted the two men of any involvement in the crime, but ordered them home, not wanting to deal with them any further. After the mess surrounding his daughters’ and their decisions, he had already had a pile of burdens to deal with. He didn’t need any more.

**_Why must everything result in chaos and loss? Why can nothing go according to plan?_ **


	9. Runaways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei and Yao are gone, but what are they up to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is a really short chapter because it was originally merged with chapter 8. I hope you like it!

By this time, Mei and Yao were hours ahead of any search party her father would’ve sent after them. They’d planned their escape after Mei had stormed out of the throne room the day before. Their plan was to leave once night was upon them and everyone was asleep. Mei knew the grounds well enough to avoid any encounters with the castle staff, and led Yao and herself out of the palace with ease, stopping at the stables to pick up some horses to assist them on their journey. In an effort to both not allow themselves to be talked out of their endeavor, and not have anyone suffer accountability and involvement, they hadn’t told anyone of their scheme. 

_No one else knew, so no one else would get hurt… right?_

**They didn’t have a long term plan. They didn’t know where they were headed. All they knew was they had to get away.**

The two of them rode on, Mei staring at the path ahead with optimism radiating through her. The sky was cloudless and blue, the trail carved in soft dirt, not a hurdle in sight. _Smooth and clear. That’s what she dreamed for her future. Happiness and freedom._ She wanted to be her own person, _just like other girls get to be._ She wanted to be able to live her life, and love who she loved without being judged. _After all, that’s what Mulan and Shang got to do..._

She didn’t want the burden of her country relying on her to make the right choice. She didn’t want to have to give up her happiness for that of the kingdom. She didn’t want to feel like every choice she made would be held against her. She didn’t want to have to make every sacrifice for her people! **_She didn’t want the responsibility of being a princess anymore._ **

She turned back to Yao who had a look of concern radiating through his body, from his extremely tense posture to the worry written in his face.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

Her question startled him and he flinched before turning to her.

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine!” He answered, trying to brush it off.

Unfortunately for him, there was nothing farther from the truth. He just didn’t like this whole situation. While he loved Mei with all his heart and would do whatever it took for the two of them to be together, running away just seemed… well… _drastic_. If this was what she wanted, then he would do it, but he couldn’t help but worry for his own well-being. 

Mei was the princess, the Emperor’s daughter. In the worst case scenario, her actions would result in her being dragged back to the palace, given a harsh scolding and placed under watch. On the other hand, he was just a soldier… and now a soldier who they'll think has kidnapped the princess! He would no doubt face jail time, possibly even execution!

_Is this really worth it? Worth your life? … Of course it is! Why would you even ask such a thing!? If Mei’s happy, then you should be happy! End of story!_

“It’s just… do ya really think we had to run away?”

“What else were we supposed to do?” Mei asked him, a look of genuine sadness on her face, “My sisters and I let our father down… he was furious with us.”

Her answer didn’t do much to console him.

“What if we'd just given it some time? Maybe things would get better!” he tried to suggest. He was confident that while they may never be perfect, things would at least improve. _Wouldn’t they?_

He wasn’t wrong. Things would eventually cool off and maybe even ameliorate, but staying would’ve meant confining herself to what had always been. _Staying trapped._

“It’s not just that…” Mei admitted, “That’s not the life I want.” 

“Whaddya mean?”

“I’m sick of having all the decisions about my life made for me. I don’t like knowing that our failures have an effect on everyone in the kingdom, and that every choice I’ll make, I’ll be judged for! I just want to be able to live a normal life… To feel like an actual person!”

At this point, Mei’s face was buried in her hands and a cry could be heard in her voice. She hated that feeling of helplessness and vulnerability. She never wanted to be subjected to that again; that lack of power and control. 

Upon noticing this, Yao rode closer to her and placed a hand on her arm, “Hey, it’s alright. If this is what ya want, then I’m with you all the way!” _If it meant this much to her, he would do it, no matter the cost._

Mei wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and displayed an appreciative smile. _She knew he was being honest, and she was beyond grateful to him for that._

“You just tell me the plan, an' I’m on it!” he reassured her.

Having finally regained her composure, Mei took a minute to think before speaking, “If this is going to work, we can’t be out parading ourselves like this.”

While she’d already abandoned her royal robes for the folk attire she had purchased in Qui Gong, it alone wouldn’t be enough for them to hide if her father sent out a search party.

“You’re absolutely right! We’ll need ta blend,” Yao agreed.

“More than that,” she countered, “‘Mei and Yao’ have to disappear.” 

It took Yao a moment to process what she meant, but with a look of assurance that she was serious, he understood.

The two pulled off the trail and hid themselves in some brush overlooking a small stream. There, Yao unsheathed his sword. _They would leave their pasts, everyone, everything they had known behind them. They would start a new life… as new people._

There were two abrupt slices, and clumps of the couple’s black hair fell to the ground. They then both picked up as much as they could, and sent it away with the water, dropping it in small amounts so as not to arouse suspicion from any possible passerbys. With that, their connections to their previous lives were severed, and the two of them were finally ready to begin anew. Staring at the strands of hair floating down the stream, they shared a melancholy embrace before rising again to resume their journey.

**_Together they would begin their new lives under new personas._**

**__ **


	10. Assessments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shang tries to get to the bottom of what happened between Mulan and his mother, but ends up finding more questions than answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter isn't too interesting, but it was necessary! 
> 
> Also, please leave me some comments! I want your feedback! Your suggestions! What's working, what's not! What you're excited about and what you're less interested in! I want to know!

Following Mulan’s cold dismissal, Shang made his way out of the Fa house where he reconvened with his mother, the utmost concern for what had occurred in her and Mulan’s conversation. He found her outside, ready to take leave of the estate.

The two started back home in silence. Shang knew he needed to ask his mother what had happened, but at the same time, he needed to formulate his question so he got a proper response. _If he was accusatory, she’d get in the defensive, and he'd never get a response. Similarly, if he took an exculpatory tone, he may end up painting himself in a corner. He had to be smart about this._

“So what did you and Mulan discuss?” Shang asked her as innocently as he could muster, “It must’ve been important for you to want to speak with her privately.”

Shu gave him a stare that implied he was prying before she responded. 

“Nothing of consequence,” she dismissed.

“Mulan didn’t seem to take it that lightly...”

“I simply gave her the proper welcome into the Li family, son. There’s no need to make such a fuss over it; especially since my personal conversation with my potential daughter-in-law does not concern you,” a stern tone now had taken over her voice, and her annoyance at the topic at hand was apparent.

“She seemed a little defensive and upset though,” Shang started to respond, not willing to give up so quickly, “ Mother, if I may, what did you tell her?”

“I simply informed her of the values of our household and how she would fit into it if she chooses to continue in this endeavor. I’m sorry if that isn’t to her liking!”

_Was that it? Was Mulan taken back by his family’s strict and orderly structure…? No! That couldn’t be it! Mulan’s family clearly wasn’t as ultra-orthodox as his own, but they weren’t oblivious! And he’d already warned her prior of his mother’s love for tradition; there’s no way that could’ve been what had upset her!_

“Girls like her are no good for our kind, Shang. They act on their own accord and don’t hold sacred any of the customs that have kept our society running for generations! They’re a different breed of people from our own,” She cautioned him once again.

Shang rolled his eyes at her statement. It was clear he had lost this argument, and wouldn’t succeed in getting any of the desired information from his mother. He simply braced himself for the lecture that would undeniably follow. He’d heard it a hundred times. Tales of men and women who survived great feats and brought honor to their families by adhering to their respective roles in society. This then fed into her critique of Mulan and her family. The remainder of their journey home consisted of Shu nitpicking everything that had occurred during their visit: 

_"I saw the girl almost drop the tea tray while bringing it to the table! One might think she’d never walked in a dress before! Speaking of which, there was a faded stain of makeup on that dress! Did she not think to choose an outfit that hadn’t been soiled! The girl’s posture isn’t quite right either. I feel bad for her dear parents! Didn’t you see? They were as shocked as we were when she served us last! Oh, the nerve... Fa Li actually seems like a quite respectable woman. Very poised and elegant, a bit nervous, but who could blame her! The husband, Fa Zhou, is much too lenient, however! And his mother is out of control!"_

Shang tried his best to come off engaged in his mother’s assessment, but in all honesty, he had started to zone out of the conversation. He didn’t bother challenging her at this point. He had at first, constantly coming to Mulan’s defense when his mother would insult her family’s status or Mulan’s decisions, but his responses always fell on deaf ears and he finally ruled it pointless to argue. Having lived with her his entire life, he’d learned how she worked and what she responded to. One thing was always consistent with his mother; she believed what she wanted to, and when her mind was set on something, she refused to hear anything to the contrary. 

When they finally arrived at their home, Shang was more than relieved. Mainly for the fact that he could escape his mother’s complaints about their day. He bid his mother a good night and retreated to his room to finally get some time to himself and his own thoughts. The silence was more than refreshing, and he slowly felt the weight on his head decrease until he was finally free to think. 

He began to undress for the night, reflecting on what had happened today as he did so. He couldn’t escape from the look Mulan had given him after he’d asked her about her conversation. _It was so angry and cold, but at the same time, something else. It was like sorrow, but not quite that._ He just couldn’t place it.

She must’ve been upset by whatever his mother had said to her, he just wished he knew what that was! _Why couldn’t she just answer his question earlier? He could’ve helped her! Tried to make things right! Saved them both so much heartache!_ Her anger with him seemed irrational; he knew mother can come off a bit stubborn and rude, but that wasn’t his fault! _Why couldn’t she just be easier to work with and understand!?_

Once he removed his large overshirt, the yin necklace he wore tucked inside of it was able to hang freely. _Yin and Yang necklaces. Gifts from Fa Zhou and Fa Li to Mulan and him._ They were supposed to represent the couple’s unison through their differences, but it felt like every event that followed him putting it on seemed to try and drive them further apart; _the fights the two had gotten in, him nearly losing her in Qui Gong, his mother’s ongoing disapproval, and most recently, whatever had just happened to Mulan._

“Everything’s just going so wrong!” he whispered to himself, defeatedly removing the necklace and setting it on the dresser. 

He couldn’t help but feel bad taking it off; he hadn’t actually removed the charm since he had gotten it, and it felt like he’d removed a small part of himself. A tad guilty, he lied awake in bed, deep in thought. He was surrounded by silence, but he couldn’t sleep; he just felt off. _Maybe it was too quiet._ He opened his window to let in the ambiance of nature and then laid back in bed. 

After some time had passed, his mind seemed cleared up and he started questioning his own demeanor. Why was he so upset right now? Did he really have a reason to be? He revisited the assessment he’d just gone through, thinking back to the “bad luck” he’d experienced. Was it really all as bad as he was making it out to be?

_The fights he and Mulan had gotten into - they stemmed in their disagreements over duty and heart. While they were drastic at the time, and they both might’ve hurt one other, in the end, they learned from each other. Their relationship actually got stronger by working through their differences and understanding them._

_Almost losing Mulan in Qui Gong - yes the situation at the time was dire, but he’d finally been able to admit his mistakes and proclaim his love for her there. It’s there they were reunited. There they were married by the Golden Dragon of Unity! That experience did nothing but bring the two of them closer together._

_As for his mother, she’d been giving their relationship trouble since the beginning. Nothing had changed in terms of her judgment, but in actuality, the situation in regards to her seemed to have improved. After all, while she might not be happy about it, she’d finally met the Fa family, and now his and Mulan’s official marriage was confirmed!_

_He might not know everything about the current situation at hand, but judging from what they’d already been through, he knew they’d be able to work their way through it. It would just take communication, and more importantly, honesty._

He decided he’d go back to see Mulan in the morning. That way they could get a true heart to heart and get to the bottom of what was bothering her. Then he would be able to help. It might be difficult, but he’d do whatever it took to make things right. 

Finally ready to surrender to slumber, Shang woke himself to do one last thing. He rose and walked to his dresser before returning to bed, yin pendant in his hand. He gripped the small charm and held it close to him. Finally feeling a sense of calm and peace, he was able to fall asleep. 

**_You must work together, like the sun and rain._ **


	11. Assessments II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dismissing Shang, Mulan is left to reflect on the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, Mushu has pretty much become Mulan's shrink, and I hope you don't mind. 
> 
> Meanwhile, I apologize if the ending of this chapter seems rushed or forced.

Mulan had just sent Shang home in an upset fit. In an effort to escape the thoughts beginning to flood her mind, she made her way deeper into the garden. The moon shone bright, and she had no trouble navigating at this hour. The cool breeze delivered by the night helped to offset her warm face, which had been heated by the tension of the situation. It did even more for her cheeks, which were painted with the small tears that had streamed down them shortly following her confrontation with Shang.

She was tempted to settle herself on the bench beneath her cherry blossom tree, but it was currently off-limits in her mind; _all it would do is remind her of him_ . She found a clean spot on the bridge overlooking the garden’s small creek and sat herself there. She started to try and calm herself down, leaning back against the bridge’s railing, only to have her bun push against her head and further irritate her. _Why was she still wearing this?_ She brought her hands up to the wrapping to remove it only to be further inconvenienced by the long sleeves draping over her hands. _AND WHY WAS SHE STILL WEARING THESE!?!_

Mulan let out a loud frustrated groan and started aggressively folding up her sleeves, getting more irritated every time the fabric fell out of place. Once they were tightly sealed on her upper arms in a way that would undoubtedly affect her blood flow, she pulled the ribbon out from her hair, allowing it to unceremoniously drape around her neck. In a final move, she abruptly removed the slimming restraints on her waist and felt her body begin to return to its original shape. She used this opportunity to take a deep breath and let the pent up emotions inside her release. She folded her legs up to support her arms as they cradled her face, allowing herself to cry, no longer trying to hold it back. 

_All this work. All this preparation! All this hope for today! It was all for naught! She’d spent so long dolling herself up; trying to play the part of a perfect Li bride! And what did she have to show for it!? Shang’s mother hated her! Hated her family! And even worse, Shang didn’t tell her that! The two of them had been alone outside for hours! He’d had every opportunity to inform her! He had chosen not to._ **_Why would he do this to her?_ **

As she continued to wallow in contemplation, she became aware of the sound of small footsteps closing in on her. She quickly grabbed a nearby stick, and once the steps got loud enough she swung in their direction and announced her presence with a “Hyah!”

“Woah, woah, woah! Stand down!” yelled a frightened Mushu, two arms raised in submission.

“Oh!” Mulan proclaimed, immediately dropping the stick, and indicating that she was no longer armed, “Sorry, Mushu. I didn’t mean to… I guess I’m just a little on edge.”

“I’d say! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! What are you doing out here?”

“Mushu,” Mulan started, swallowing to avoid any further outbursts, “nothing’s going the way it’s supposed to!”

“Whad'ya mean? Your folks back there are stoked!”

“Yeah, because we finally got a date for the wedding.”

“That’s wonderful! So what’s eatin’ ya?” the guardian questioned, convinced that her mood would be a quick fix.

Mulan slumped her shoulders forward and faced him from the side, “What would you say if I said that Shang’s mother hated me?”

A bit taken back by the statement, the small dragon answered as casually as he could, “I’d ask what her deal is.”

“She thinks that I don’t care about tradition! …And like Shang said, that’s _really_ important to her.”

“Well… do you?”

“Of course I do! Why would you even ask that!?”

Mushu crawled up her leg and sat himself down on her bent knee, “I mean, Mulan, I love ya, but you need to look at this from this lady’s perspective! You’re the girl who ran off and joined the army! The slayer of Shan-Yu! The hero of China! That’s not all traditional, now is it?”

Mulan looked down, “No...”

“And let’s not forget, it wasn’t much more than a week ago you and Shang were in a full-fledged altercation over following your duty versus following your heart. This lady isn’t all that far off, now is she?”

Mulan leaned back against the bridge and let her arms fall to her sides, “I mean… when you put it like that, I guess not.”

“See! Now I’m sure all you gotta do is have a nice friendly chat of ‘what and why’, and you two’ll be hittin’ it off in no time!”

“It wasn’t _just_ that, Mushu,” Mulan continued, “...She doesn’t think the Fa family is good enough to join the Lis.”

“SHE WHAT!?” Mushu yelled, a small burst of smoke escaping from his mouth as he did, “Did you by chance tell her… THAT YOU SAVED ALL OF CHINA!?”

“She knows the story, it just doesn’t seem to matter,” Mulan explained at a loss, “she thinks I’ll bring bad luck to the family!”

“Wait! ...Does Pretty Boy know about this!?!” 

“Shang?” Mulan asked rhetorically, rubbing her eyes, “That’s a whole ‘nother issue!”

Mushu curiously tilted his head, asking for clarification, “C’mon girl, don’t leave me hanging like this!”

“Ugh! Shang knew the whole time! He just didn’t tell me!”

“Oooh… why not?”

“I don’t know,” she answered defeatedly. “...I have no idea why he would keep that from me… It’s like he wanted me to face that on my own,” she admitted, holding her arms and trying to stabilize her trembling lip.

Upon noticing her discomfort, Mushu ran a paw down her cheek, “Hey, it’s alright, don’t worry.”

When he felt she was calm enough he backed away, waiting in silence until another thought caught his mind, “Woah, hold on a second! If Mama Li don’t like us, why’d she agree to the marriage in the first place?”

“Oh… because of Shang...” Mulan answered, taking a second to ponder what she’d just said, “Shang said he was willing to go on with the marriage with or without her blessing...”

“He was?” Mushu asked, as taken aback by the notion as she had been, “That could’ve meant him renouncing his entire family! And he was willing to do that for you?!”

Mulan was once again hit with the severity and genuinity of his gesture, “Yeah… he really was.”

“And you really think that guy wished anything bad on you?”

“Mushu, I… you… you don’t know...”

“But you don’t know either,” Mushu interrupted, lifting her chin up with a claw, “the truth is, we don’t know exactly what happened. We don’t know if this was an elaborate scheme or just some freak accident! What I _do_ know, Shang-hai is crazy about you. I just say, ask him. Give him a chance to try an’ explain himself… And if you don’t like his answer, I’ll scorch him for ya!”

Mulan let out a small giggle before hugging her guardian friend. 

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Mushu gave it a second before squirming out of her grasp, “No need to get all mushy on me.” He then started walking down the bridge back to the house, “You comin’?”

“I’ll catch up with you in a second,” Mulan assured him, urging him to go on ahead.

He returned a skeptical smile before scurrying away.

Mulan leaned back and let herself think; reflecting on what Mushu had said. A small wind traveled through the garden, causing her loose hair to fly into her face. She pushed it back and saw that her Yang necklace was swinging in the breeze as well. She carefully lifted the accessory off of her neck and placed the pendant in her hands, her fingers lining its small grooves.

_Gifts from her parents to her and Shang. A reminder of the bond they shared and how through their differences, they made each other whole._

A mix of emotions formed inside of her as she thought over the meaning.

_Their differences…_

Everything that had happened had been caused by differences. Not just her and Shang’s, but all of theirs. She and Shu’s differing views on tradition. The two families’ differences in demeanor. Their houses’ differences in social structure and status. The two were just so dissimilar...

Thinking back, these differences did manifest themselves in each of their frames of mind. Mushu had had a point. As coldly as Shu thought of her and her family, she wasn’t inaccurate in her own perspective. Her point of view was simply different from their own; and who’s to say whether either of them was right or wrong?

Similarly, Shang must have had his own reasons for taking the actions he did. Just because she didn’t know them, didn’t mean they were invalid, and just because they felt wrong to her, didn’t mean they seemed so to him. After all, his perspective held truths that she didn’t possess.

_They just needed to talk about this. Have a genuine heart to heart._

Mulan kissed the small charm and hung it back around her neck before finally lifting herself up and heading back to the house. She’d reach out to Shang tomorrow, figure things out from his point of view, but for now, she needed rest. It had been a long day.

She assured her family she was in good spirits before bidding them a good night. Lying in bed, she fell asleep to the thought of one of her father’s favorite lessons.

_**Differences can make us stronger.** _


	12. Truths Unearthed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulan and Shang are finally ready to face each other about the incident the night prior, and start to improve their situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, but I really hope you like it! Please tell me if this story is progressing too slowly!!!! I don't want to lose you guys!

Mulan woke up early the next morning, a sense of determination on her mind; she was going to make things right with Shang. Her morning routine went by rather quickly. She strolled the grounds with Little Brother and fed the family’s animals before joining her parents and grandmother for breakfast where they all discussed their excitement for the upcoming ceremonies. The three of them threw around numerous suggestions and ideas, Fa Li shooting down many of Grandma Fa’s “ambitious” additions. After some time, Mulan informed them that she had prior arrangements, and in light of current affairs, they were more than happy to let her leave early to meet up with Shang. 

She returned to her room to dress, and the mess on her vanity immediately caught her eye. An assortment of small makeup palettes from the day prior; a reminder of the secret disaster of yesterday. _She was not going to go through that again…_ ** _any of that._** She removed the vessels from her sight before approaching her closet. She started flipping through her various outfits to find one suitable for today. 

_No… no… no… no…_

**_Perfect._ **

Before she knew it she had on a plain work shirt and pants. The kind of work clothes she would wear when she went out to do her chores in the field. Nothing fancy. **And that was the point.** In an effort to impress Shang’s mother she’d gone all out to make herself into something she wasn’t. Today was about Shang; _about honesty._ And that started with herself. It was in these faded robes, that smelled of the grass and fields she worked in them, that she felt like her best and truest self.

She exited her front door and started out of her estate when she became aware of the small, serpent-like presence on her neck. 

“You’re going out like _that_?” a judgemental Mushu asked her.

“Yes, I am… and actually-” she began to say before noticing a familiar figure timidly waiting at her home’s gates.

_It was Shang._

While she wanted to take a moment to ponder the motives behind his presence, she ruled it better to approach him than to speculate.

“Hi,” she greeted him sweetly, a sense of guilt washing over her for how she’d treated him last night. 

“Mulan!” Shang returned, just realizing she was there, “I wanted to talk to you about yesterday...”

“I wanted to talk to you too,” she said softly, running a hand up her arm. 

Shang opened his arms and gestured that they go inside, but Mulan declined. 

“I think it would be better if we went out into the town. A change of scenery would be good for us,” she suggested.

“Uh… sure, let’s go!” Shang agreed. 

“Just give me one second,” Mulan requested, feeling her guardian’s claws grace her back as he hid in her shirt.

She quickly made her way back inside the house, where she plucked the creature off of her, and set him down. 

“Hey, what’s the big idea!?” Mushu yelled.

“Shhh! Mushu!” Mulan cautioned, “...I just think it’s best if today is just me and Shang. Alone.”

“What!? But what about our deal? You don’t like what the man says, and I torch ‘im!”

“I don’t think it’ll come to that,” she tried to assure him, “...but if it does, I promise, you’ll be the first person I call.”

Mushu tried to fight, but reading her expression, he wasn’t going to win this one, “Oh alright. You two have fun now!”

“Will do!” Mulan agreed, waving to him as she walked out. 

She caught up with Shang, who gave a slightly concerned look, as if to ask her if she was ready to leave. 

“Sorry about that, I had to drop something off at the house,” she told him before leading them both out the gates. 

  
  


They walked on foot down the small trail leading to the village, neither ready to speak yet, each waiting for the other to start. Once within the town, they were bombarded by various merchants with arrays of goods to offer them; everything from fresh meat to the latest fashion trends could be found in the plaza. The couple kindly turned down the various commerce and continued through the streets, looking for a quiet spot to talk. 

“FA MULAN! GENERAL SHANG!” a squeaky, yet familiar voice called out. 

“Sha Ron!” Mulan greeted, turning to hug the small child that was running towards her. 

“How are you doing, little warrior?” Shang asked her, giving her a high five once her embrace with Mulan was through. 

“I’ve been preparing our troops for battle, sir!” The girl replied with a salute. 

“Have you now?” Mulan teased, playfully rubbing the girl’s head. 

“Yeah, but the girls aren’t the best at taking orders… What about you two! My baba said you were sent out on an important mission! Did you save China again!?”

“Not exactly…” Shang answered. 

“Oh… well then I bet you kicked bad-guy butt!” Sha Ron concluded excitedly. 

“Sort of. Let’s just say, we were _very_ busy,” Mulan told her. 

“Okay,” the girl said with an innocent smile. 

After a few moments of silence, Mulan and Shang were ready to dismiss Sha Ron and move along when she spoke once again. 

“So am I invited to your guys’s wedding!”

Before Shang could answer Mulan scooped the girl up and gave her another hug, “Of course you are!”

Sha Ron looked to Shang who seemed caught off guard but returned a smile as well. 

“You guys are the best!!! When I grow up, I wanna be just like you!” she declared, returning Mulan’s hug. 

Once she was back on the ground, she tugged Mulan’s shirt to get one more word in, “I wanna join the army just like you did too!

This earned a slight gasp from Shang, while Mulan wore a compassionate smile and leaned down closer to Sha Ron’s level. 

“Let’s hope that by the time you’re grown up, China won’t need any more soldiers.”

Sha Ron returned a curious stare trying to contemplate what Mulan had told her when Shang chimed in, “Hey… remember last time when you saw me?”

“Yeah!”

“I asked you to watch my helmet for me... and I was wondering if I could get it back now. What do you say, little warrior?”

“Oh, okay! I’ll go get it!” the girl exclaimed, “I’ll be right back!” she assured them as she ran off in the direction of her house. 

  
  


Once the two of them were alone again, they picked the stairs of a vacant building nearby to settle themselves down and finally talk to each other. 

“So… you want Sha Ron at the wedding?” Shang asked 

“Yeah, she’s a lot of fun!” Mulan responded, “Why? Do you not?” 

“Yes… I mean no! I meant ‘yes, I want,’ not ‘no’... _ugh._ Yes, I want Sha Ron at the wedding. She’s a cute kid…” Shang put his hands over his face, defeated; the issue at hand clearly not the culprit. 

Mulan put a gentle hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention, “Shang, I wanted to apologize for last night. I shouldn’t have been so rude to you.”

Shang turned to her, unsure of what to say back. Luckily for him, she continued to speak. 

“I was just upset by everything that had happened that day, and somehow I’d figured that you were to blame for it… and that was wrong of me. Can you forgive me?”

“I … uh … of course! Of course, I forgive you! But is that why you were so upset last night; _upset with me?_ ” He asked her, sure that the narrative from that encounter was deeper than a bad day. 

Mulan gave him a worried look, and he responded with one of understanding, giving a slight nod to assure her that he was listening and wanted to know what was on her mind. 

“Did… did you know the whole time that your mother didn’t like me?” she asked him somberly. 

A look of distress crossed his face. _This is what he’d been afraid of. She’d been confronted by his mother! Told she wasn’t good enough!_ **_Told she was unworthy._ ** _And of course, his mother didn’t mention telling her that!_

Shang hung his head in shame, “Yes. I knew.”

Mulan had to stop herself before she raised her voice at him, taking a deep breath before speaking, “So why didn’t you tell me?”

“I… I…” 

The words wouldn’t come to him. How do you tell someone you loved every aspect of them and didn’t want to risk changing them in any way by letting them know about a family member’s disapproval!? **_You can’t just say that!_ **

“Shang, we’d been outside for hours; just the two of us! You could’ve told me!” her eyes began to swell again, “After talking to your mother, I felt like you’d just thrown me into fire. I didn’t know what I was walking into. There was no warning! I wasn’t prepared! ...I guess I just felt… **betrayed.** ”

“No, Mulan, it’s not like that,” Shang started. 

She turned to him, desperately looking for answers. 

“I purposefully didn’t tell you… but it was for a reason!”

“Please, tell me!” Mulan begged. _This is exactly what she’d discussed with Mushu last night! What he was thinking! His motives for doing what he did! This is what she wanted to know more than anything!_

“I… I can’t tell you.”

“What!? Why?”

“It’ll sound so stupid out loud!” Shang tried to explain, self-conscious about saying that alone. 

“It won’t! I promise,” Mulan reassured him. 

“Well… it’s just…”

“Come on!!! Tell me!!!”

“Mulan, I’m afraid of you turning into one of them!” Shang finally admitted, his eyes beginning to tear up. 

Mulan looked at him in shock and confusion, “...one of who?”

“The kind of girls my mother used to introduce me to! The kind of girl **she wants you to be**!” Shang desperately explained, “They have no sense of self! No identity! Their entire life is built around being the absolute perfect wife!”

“Shang, I…” Mulan didn’t know what to say; what to feel. 

“I was afraid if I told you that my mother wasn’t happy with you, you’d try to change who you were to appease her,” Shang explained, trying to hide the fact that he was drying his eyes, “I couldn’t bear to lose who you were to that, so I didn’t tell you… I know, it’s dumb and I never should’ve kept it from you… I just…”

His speech was cut off by a kiss followed by an embrace from Mulan. When she finally let go, she just stared at him, a smile lighting her face. 

“You’re not mad!?” Shang asked her, completely caught off guard by what had just happened. 

“Mad?! This whole time I was afraid that you’d for some reason planned for me to face your mother’s scrutiny alone! I thought you’d purposely abandoned me!”

“What! No! I would never…”

“I know, I know,” she assured him with another hug, “next time, please, just tell me the truth. We don’t need to be keeping secrets from one another anymore.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Upon saying that, Mulan could see on his face there was something else bothering him; something he very much wanted to say. 

“It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“Mulan, remember when we were talking to Sha Ron just now?”

She nodded for him to go on. 

“She said she wanted to be like you and join the army… Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely support your decision and I believe it was the best for everyone… and I do love what you’re doing for those girls, honestly! ...but to have little girls dreaming about that. Wanting to become soldiers. It scares me… a lot.”

Mulan’s expression turned to one of seriousness and concern as she placed her hand on his and looked him in the eye, “Shang...honestly… it scares me too.” 

She took a moment to examine her coarse hands before continuing, “I did what I felt was the only thing I could do to keep my family safe. I don’t want these girls throwing themselves in harm's way! But the world is changing all around us… and I guess that’s partially _my_ fault. In the end, they probably won’t do it, but if they make that choice, **_we can’t stop them_ **. All we can do is teach them to be smart, safe, and strong, and that’s all I’m trying to do for them.”

Shang gave her a soft smile and nodded in comprehension. After a few moments, he turned back to her. 

“So is there anything bothering you?” he asked her, “Anything you think would be important to get out?”

A million things likely crossed her mind, but there was one secret, in particular, that was bothering her. One she had thought she might end up burying deep inside her for the rest of her life in the coming weeks, “It’s just...” 

Seeing her distress, Shang pulled back, “It’s okay. If it means that much, you don’t have to tell me.”

“No! …no, that wouldn’t be right!” Mulan said mustering all her strength, “We shouldn’t keep secrets from one another. We need to be honest with each other.”

Shang’s look urged her to continue. 

She felt the blood retreat from her mind and got lightheaded. She took a deep breath to try and balance it out. _It’ll be okay! Just tell him!_

Mulan flinched, as if bracing herself for a brutal blow, “My family guardian has been helping me manage this entire time!” she finally said. 

Shang looked at her quizzically, unsure how to process what she’d just said, “What?”

“I have a family guardian named Mushu,” she explained, “he’s a dragon who was sent by my ancestors to aid me when I first went out to join the army; he’s the one that fired that cannon at the Tung Shao Pass, giving away our position.”

Shang just nodded, while clearly taken aback, he was listening intently.

“He was also there on our mission to Qui Gong… It wasn’t the Golden Dragon of Unity back there who saved us. It was Mushu.”

Shang nodded, a sense of awe over him. What she had told him felt unbelievable, but he knew she was telling the truth.

Mulan grabbed both of his arms, a sudden sense of urgency on her face, “This is a secret! You can’t tell anyone! ...Mushu will be gone soon anyway,” she said somberly.

“Huh? Why!?”

“Once we’re married, the Li family will take over the role of guardianship. Mushu won’t be a guardian anymore,” Mulan reminded him sadly.

“Oh,” Shang said softly, “...I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, it would’ve happened eventually. It was inevitable,” Mulan told him, “I’m just glad I got to tell you.”

The two exchanged soft smiles when they heard the quick patter of footsteps approaching them.

“I FOUND IT!” an excited Sha Ron announced, running towards them while gripping Shang’s general helmet that was nearly half her size. 

“Awesome! Thank you!” Shang told her, taking back his helmet and politely shaking the girl’s hand. 

The three of them spent a bit casually chatting with each other before bidding each other a cheery goodbye, ready to return to their respective houses for the day. Everything they’d set to do had been done, and the anxiety Mulan and Shang had been battling prior was now gone.

**_Today had been a success._ **


	13. Reconvening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to look up for the young couple when some familiar faces drop by...

The next day started with sunlight and warmth. Both Mulan and Shang awoke with a sense of relief over them, but both knew there was still much that needed to be done. In Mulan’s home, no topic seemed to grace discussions that weren't somehow made relevant to the wedding. 

_“You know who said ‘hi’ to me the other day in the market? Mr. Shao! Did you see the flowers his family grows? Absolutely lovely. Perhaps he’d consider cutting some for the wedding.”_

_“Mulan, I was about the town and I saw this young girl…_ **_beautiful girl_ ** _… she was wearing the most lovely dress and I just thought of how great that color would look on you! We should go see if we could get your wedding dress in that shade!”_

_“See them over there? That family’s so stuck up! We’re not inviting them! In fact, we should make a list of all the people we don’t want there; that’ll show ‘em!”_

While she was extremely appreciative of the keen interest they’d taken in the matter, she had to admit, the constant talk about the wedding exhausted her. Especially with the frequent arguments her mother got into with her grandma; the most recent of which being whether she looked better in purple or pink. She had to admit, she guiltily enjoyed watching them bicker over such trivial matters, but even she had her limits.

Shang’s home, on the other hand, felt like the battle zone for a fight that had yet to occur. The entire house was filled with an unrest that only grew when he and his mother found themselves in the same room, but neither of them wanted to address it. The two hadn’t spoken since their discussion about their meeting with the Fas, and both were too stubborn to initiate a conversation. As such the two exchanged nothing but quick glances that they both abruptly pulled away from whenever they caught the other’s eye. Shang had no idea how to possibly manipulate the situation, so he decided he’d just tough it out until the wedding was over. 

Late morning that day, Mulan and Shang both happened upon each other in the market; Mulan sent there on an errand for her family and Shang who’d retreated there to escape from his house. The two decided to continue their respective tasks together and accompanied one another through the various stands. 

Once the tea leaves and ginger Mulan had been seeking were acquired, Shang decided to treat the two of them to lunch at a small restaurant at the edge of town. When the two were seated and awaiting their food, they had nothing but time.

“So… how are things going with your mother?” Mulan asked skeptically, doubtful that anything had improved.

“Same as before. She’s still upset, but what are you gonna do? How about your family?” Shang asked her, quick to shift the discussion away from his mom.

“Oh, they’re going insane! They want everything to be so perfect; it’s adorable!” 

He smiled at the thought; just picturing Mulan’s family fawning over her and talking about wedding plans instead of spending their days insulting their future in-law’s family and begging them to reconsider their choice. _What that must be like._ **_How nice that must be._ **

The waiter arrived shortly afterward with their food, and after thanking them for the deed, the two continued their discussion. 

“You know,” Mulan started, a slight look of shame on her face, “I haven’t told Mushu that I revealed him to you...”

“Why not?” Shang asked her, less for concern over her choice and more out of pure curiosity.

“I don’t know,” “Mulan admitted, “I know I should tell him… but is it wrong that I don’t want to? I mean it’s not like it will change anything, it’ll just give him something else to worry about, and he’s probably upset enough as it is.”

Shang looked at her as if looking for an answer to her friend's dilemma, “Mulan, I’ve been thinking. Maybe…”

Just then, his words were interrupted by the sound of a pair of horses making their way into the village.

“That’s the Imperial Road,” Mulan pointed out, “they might’ve come from the palace!”

Fearing the worst, Mulan and Shang decided to cut their lunch short and investigate the Imperial visitors. Following the fresh trail, they made their way into the city where they finally spotted the pair, but as they dismounted it became clear that these were no Imperial Generals bearing grave news; **it was Chien-Po and Ling!**

Mulan’s eyes widened at the sight of them, “Ling! Chien-Po! You’re back!” she exclaimed happily, rushing towards them with a hug that they couldn’t bear to pass up.

“Wait, where’s Yao?” Shang asked, a look of concern grazing his face.

“Decided to stay with Mei, no doubt!” Mulan teased.

“Well… you could say that,” Ling responded, rubbing his neck and searching for a way to break the news to his friends.

“Mei and Yao have run away!” Chien-Po revealed softly yet abruptly. 

Mulan and Shang stared at the two in shock, taking a moment to process what they’d just heard. 

“They…? But why!?” Mulan finally asked.

“The Emperor was furious with all the princesses,” Ling tried to explain, “I guess they ruled it best for them to just leave.”

“He’s sent men across the empire searching for them, but not even we know where they could’ve gone,” Chien-Po added. 

“Oh my…” Shang said under his breath, not wanting to let on his concern.

_This didn’t make any sense. The Emperor had been so kind and understanding with them; how could he be so cross with the princesses at the same time?_

Mulan and Shang walked with the men back to their respective homes as they recalled all the events that had transpired at the palace after they had left, listening as the situation unraveled before them.

“A missing princess? A war looming upon us? This is all our fault!” Shang cried, defeated by the weight of it all.

The three tried to convince him that the situation was out of his control, but he wouldn’t hear any of it; _if he’d just been smarter, seen the implications of their choices, this wouldn’t be happening!_

“We have to find her!” Shang announced, placing his hand on Mulan’s shoulder.

“We...? W… what?” Mulan stuttered, at a loss for words.

“We caused this, Mulan,” Shang explained, “the least we could do to show our loyalty is bring the princess home safely!”

“Shang, this is Mei and Yao’s choice,” Mulan countered, “these people are both our friends, we can’t do that to them!”

Chien-Po and Ling exchanged looks, not knowing who’s side to take on the matter.

“But Mulan, the Emperor...” Shang tried to argue before being cut off.

“The Emperor has yet to ask anything of us,” Mulan stated clearly, “If he recruits us to join the search I’ll leave in a heartbeat, but until then I’m not going to defy the trust of either of my friends. We’re not being unloyal by passing on a task not asked of us.”

Her argument seemed to break through to Ling and Chien-Po, but it appeared as though Shang needed a little more convincing before he’d abandon the endeavor. 

“The emperor’s best men are already searching for her,” Chien-Po reminded him, “if anyone is going to locate the princess, it will be them.”

“Besides, I’m pretty sure you have other, more pressing _engagements_ to worry about,” Ling said, gesturing to the couple, “speaking of which, I haven’t received my invitation yet; don’t tell me I’m not invited!”

His deflection was enough to break Shang who let out a slight chuckle.

“We’ll get that sorted out soon,” he responded before turning to Mulan, “so if we’re asked to help, we _will_ help, right?”

Mulan nodded in assurance, “Of course we will,” she said, gently holding his hand.

Her affirmation seemed to put his mind at ease; knowing that they wouldn’t be defying any orders, and that they’d assist the search if it came to that was enough for him.

The four of them wrapped up their meeting soon after and they each made their ways back home. Mulan gave the groceries to her parents and continued what was an overall normal day. Hours passed by quickly and before long, darkness loomed on them and her family retired to sleep for the night.

It was very early in the morning at a time where stars still painted the night sky, when a slight knocking was heard on Mulan’s wall. Mulan slightly awoke but dismissed it and lied down again. When the knocks occurred again, she arose and turned to her window to find a cloaked figure standing behind it. Her heart stopped and Mulan was about to let out a scream when the figure held a finger to their lips and gestured for her to follow them as they walked in the direction of her front door.

If it weren’t for the fact that she was both panicked and half asleep, Mulan would’ve never obeyed the request of a complete stranger who’d been watching her through a window, but in her state of disorientation, Mulan made her way to the door. She opened it quietly, as not to awake her sleeping parents or grandmother, and there the cloaked figure stood before her. While their eyes couldn’t be seen, a smile grazed their lips.

“Who are you?” Mulan whispered.

The figure looked to both sides and behind them, as if searching for pursuers, before removing their hood. 

Mulan squinted to examine the figure in the darkness; it was a short haired disheveled girl with a round face and a tired yet grateful expression.

Mulan’s eyes widened in shock, “Mei!?”

“Shhh,” Mei cautioned urgently, “no one can know I was here,” she whispered.

“I… you… what are you doing here?!”

“Yao said he knew where your house was, and I couldn’t bear leaving without seeing you one last time,” she explained before sadly running a hand up her arm, “I… I didn’t get to say goodbye to my sisters.”

“Where are you going?” Mulan asked her gently.

“As far away as we can. I want to live, love… be my own person! And I would never be able to do that back home,” Mei told her, “I can’t stay too long, my father has no doubt sent a search party after us.”

Mulan nodded sadly before Mei grabbed both of her hands, “I needed to thank you for absolutely everything. You inspired me to dream and be myself, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

Mulan couldn’t help but fill with joy; the fact that she’d left such an impression on someone made everything she’d been through feel worthwhile. 

__

“Oh, and before I go, I hope it’s not too late to give you this,” the princess said with a smile, handing Mulan a small red envelope, “it’s a little wedding present… I'm sorry we couldn’t put together anything grander.”

Mulan timidly took the pocket in total awe; _a hongbao from one of the princesses of China._

Mei hugged Mulan before putting her hood back on and slowly walking away from her house, “Send Shang my best regards and congratulations!” she requested before turning back one last time, “And if you ever need me, it’s Yenay!”

With that, the princess disappeared into the night.

_So she’d changed her name; Yenay… she who loves. Fitting._

Mulan tucked the red envelope away and closed the door. The joy of seeing her friend again, perhaps for the last time, soon subsided as she speculated with worry.

**_What was she going to tell Shang?_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The Red Envelope/Red Pocket or Hongbao is a traditional wedding gift of good fortune in China. I didn't find anything in my research to believe it wasn't around in the Northern Wei Dynasty, but if you know something I don't please let me know)
> 
> PS: Sorry this chapter was so late!


	14. Confidentiality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei and Yao have made their leave, but what does that mean for everyone else?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was late!

Morning arrived hours after their encounter, and Mulan awoke wondering if perhaps it had all been a strange dream. She immediately slid her hand underneath her mattress and found the red envelope the princess had given to her. 

_ It was real; Mei had been here. _

Knowing that the pocket’s mere presence would create a nightmare for every party involved, she put it in the pile on her vanity.  _ It would be dealt with… eventually. _

Mulan dressed and made her way downstairs only to find the house was vacant. Where her parents and grandmother usually sat to enjoy their morning tea was empty.  _ This wasn’t far from the time her father would typically visit their ancestral shrine, but it was rare for all three of them to be out at once.  _ Nevertheless, she went outside to check.

As she made her way through the property down the path, she was struck by the odd amount of commotion that filled the air. At an early hour, it was usually serene and quiet with the soft ambiance of birds and the occasional barking dog. Right now, however, soft murmurs of crowds could be heard alongside the steady beat of horse steps against the dirt paths. Mulan’s attention was drawn toward the sound, which led her to the entrance of their estate.

Their home’s gates were open, and Mulan’s mother and grandmother stood inside them, staring out. Mulan approached them timidly, lightly resting her hand on her grandma’s shoulder, who gripped it softly in response. Peeking her head out the gate, a band of Imperial Guards on horseback caught her eye. There were at least 10 of them in direct view, and they had amassed a crowd around them. Her father had just wrapped up conversation with one of the men before returning to them.

“It would seem that Princess Mei has run away from the palace,” he informed his family urgently.

“Mei?” Fa Li started worriedly, as if running the name through a list of records in her mind, “Why, Mulan! Isn’t that one of the princesses you had escorted to Qui Gong?!”

“Uh… yeah, it was,” Mulan answered, not knowing what else to say. She couldn’t lie;  _ at least not about that! _

“Oh how awful!” her mother continued, “What could’ve led the poor girl to do such an awful thing?”

“She probably got fed up is what,” Grandma Fa announced, “happens to the best of us.”

“You’re not concerned?” Mulan asked in shock.

“Oh she’ll come back,” her grandmother dismissed. “You know how many times I dreamed about runnin’ away when I was your age? You got it from me, ya know!” she said with a lighthearted smile as she patted Mulan on the arm, “I’m goin’ inside. Never one for royal gossip.”

Mulan and her parents stared at her as she walked back inside before facing each other.

“Well as long as we have no information to help with the investigation, we are of no use to the guards,” Fa Zhou told the two of them, “it is best we leave them to do their jobs.”

He placed a hand on Fa Li’s shoulder and the couple started back to the house as well. Mulan was about to join them when two animated figures caught her eye. Upon getting a more intent look, she recognized them as Chien-Po and Ling, who were urgently waving at her to come to them.

“I’ll catch up with you in a minute. I need to take care of something,” Mulan told her parents before rushing off to meet the duo.

“Don’t be out too long!” Fa Li cautioned before her daughter disappeared behind the gate.

When she reached the two men, they seemed to scan the area before timidly leading her away from the street. Once they reached a more private place, they finally spoke.

“Something… strange happened last night,” Ling whispered to her.

Mulan’s mind immediately flashed back to her encounter with Mei, wondering if these events had any correlation.

“Strange how?” she asked, not yet ready to let on what she knew.

“It’s about… about…” Ling tried to explain, but couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“It’s about Yao,” Chien-Po took over, holding a hand over the side of his mouth like a shield.

Mulan’s eyes widened, and she pointed to the ground as if trying to confirm her suspicions.

The two men nodded in response.  _ Yao had come to see them last night. _

Mulan looked to both sides of her to confirm the three of them were still alone before whispering back. “Mei was here too… what are we going to do about..?” she asked them, nodding her head in the direction of the Imperial Guards that had amassed themselves in the streets. 

“We’re not gonna tell ‘em, are we?” Ling asked in a panicked tone. _ He’d already felt like he’d betrayed Yao once. He didn’t want to do it again. _

“No!” Mulan answered rather harshly before catching herself, “we can’t do that to them… These people are our friends.”

The duo nodded solemn agreement when Mulan came back with another thought.

“Wait, what about Shang? Does he know too?”

“Unless Mei saw him, I don’t think so,” Chien-Po answered, “Yao said he didn’t have time, and the General’s home would be too hard to get into. He didn’t want to risk it.”

“Then I don’t think Shang knows,” Mulan concluded, “Mei asked me to send him my regards, and she doesn’t know the town. If Yao didn’t take her there, then she couldn’t have seen him.”

“Do we tell him?” Chien-Po asked, his usual soft face overcome with concern shared by Ling who looked to Mulan for guidance.

Mulan grabbed her forehead and pushed her hair back in conflict, balancing the pros and cons of every option.

“...We can’t,” she finally said, guilt washing over her as she made her choice, “Shang wants to do what’s right in the Emperor’s eyes, and that would mean turning them in. We can’t do that.”

The pair looked at one another, first in shock, then understanding.  _ They may not be doing what was honest, but they were doing what was right; at least they hoped so. _

“So what do we say?” Ling asked sadly.

“I guess we don’t say anything,” Mulan said, becoming light-headed from all the dishonesty;  _ why was this lie so much harder than others? It wasn’t nearly as difficult to pretend to be Ping.  _ “If anyone asks, they were never here, and we don’t know anything… that includes Shang.”

The three all agreed to the pact and ended their discussion. Before Mulan could leave, however, Ling turned back.

“Ai!” he yelled to her.

“Ai?” Mulan whispered under her breath as she turned back to him.  _ What’s Ai? _

Ling nodded at her, and after a moment she understood.

“Yenay!” she yelled back, and then made her way back home.

_ Ai. Yao had changed his name to Ai. _

  
  


Upon arriving home, Mulan joined her parents for breakfast and her usual chores. The hours passed by slowly as the day dragged itself on. It wasn’t until some time in the afternoon that there was a knock at their door. 

“Shang!” her mother answered with a joyous tone.

Mulan’s heart skipped a beat.  _ He was here… why was he here? Did he know!? _

“I was hoping I could speak with Mulan… if that’s alright,” Shang told her.

“Why of course. You’re always welcome, dear,” Fa Li said with a smile, pointing him in Mulan’s direction.

Shang thanked the kind woman and made his way towards Mulan, who was in a panic.  _ It wasn’t like she was going to escape. She just had to play it cool. She could do this. Just calm down...  _ As he approached her, she desperately searched for something,  _ anything _ , to say.

“Why hello, Shang. Whatever are you doing here?” she said in what was possibly the most robotic voice she’d ever heard.  _ What on earth was that?! What’s wrong with you!? _

“You alright?” Shang asked her, confusion on his face.

“Oh... yes! I’m fine! Just...” Mulan looked around to think of an excuse, “a little on edge. You know, all the guards outside.”

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk about.”

Mulan led the two of them to her room for a quiet spot to sit, all while Shang once again asserted his belief that they should assist with the search for Mei.

“Shang, we don’t have time,” Mulan reminded him, “our wedding’s in a little over a week, and there’s still so much to do!”

“Yeah, I know,” Shang said defeatedly, “I just feel like there’s so much more we could be doing to help.”

Mulan placed her hand on his, “It’s going to be alright,” she told him a soft smile. 

He returned it and his eyes began to wander, finally landing on a burst of red contrasting with the soft yellows and browns of the room. He squinted to get a better look, but couldn’t quite make it out.

“Mulan, what’s that?” he said, pointing to the small pocket.

Mulan looked in fright at the direction of his eyes.  _ She left it out! How could she leave it out in the open like that!?!  _ “It’s… uh…”

Shang rose to see it more clearly, “Is… is that a hongbao?”

Mulan held her breath nervously, “Uh… yeah. I got it yesterday…”  _ What was she going to do? What was she going to do? _

“Huh, it’s not signed,” Shang observed, “who’s it from?”

“It’s from...” Mulan hesitated before answering, thinking of the least dishonest response she could without blowing the secret, “...a friend. She couldn’t make the wedding… she’s moving! You probably don’t know her.” The guilt hit her again, _ but what else was she supposed to do? _

“Maybe I do,” Shang suggested, “what’s her name?”

Mulan took a breath, trying to formulate an answer. 

**_“It’s… Yenay.”_ **


	15. Shifting Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulan is left to deal with the impact of her lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! This chapter is REALLY late!!!!!!!

In the days following, things seemed to be returning back to normal in the village. The Imperial Guards abandoned their search there and continued out towards the empire’s borders. With their leave, the people resumed life as usual; even Shang seemed to calm down and quell his urges to join the search. Still, however, guilt ate away at Mulan. 

_She had lied to him. Lied to Shang, right after they’d agreed they didn’t need to keep secrets from one another._

Mulan lay on her bed with Mei’s hongbao in hand, tracing over its corners with her finger while having an internal dialogue with herself. 

_Maybe she should tell him the truth… What could happen?_

_He’d know she lied to him, that’s what!_

_But keeping this going would be lying to him even more!_

_If she told him, she will have betrayed her friends’ trust!_

_But doing this was betraying her fiance’s trust!_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small reptile that quickly climbed down her arm and swiped the envelope out of her hand before jumping off the bed.

“Hey!” Mulan yelled, trying to grab the small dragon who was out of her reach.

“You seem awfully upset over this thing,” Mushu observed, examining the small pocket, “what’s its deal?”

“Deal? What deal? There’s no deal!” Mulan tried to deflect.

“Y’know, you’re a terrible liar,” Mushu told her, still staring at the envelope in his claws.

Mulan exhaled and allowed her outstretched arm to go limp, “I know.”

“Now c’mon, girl! I’m your guardian, you shouldn’t be hiding things from me!”

“I know… and I shouldn’t be hiding things from Shang either,” Mulan mumbled, taking hold of one of her pillows.

Mushu climbed back onto the bed and seated himself next to her.

“You know you can always talk to me. Now, why don’t we chat?”

_After some initial hesitation, Mulan caved to his offer. She told him everything from Mei’s visit to the lie along with the guilt that had accumulated inside her since then, looking desperately to her guardian for any answers or advice._

“That’s … that’s quite the dilemma,” Mushu responded to her plight, not knowing much else to say.

“Mushu, please! I need help; just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it!” Mulan begged, wanting to relieve the burden of having to solve this alone.

“Well...” Mushu started, trying his best to think of a solution, “you’re one for finding your way by following your heart, right? What does your heart say?”

Mulan nearly dismissed his suggestion as cliche, but decided to go with it anyway, “My heart says not to betray my friends… but it also says not to lie to Shang.”

“Maybe you can do both,” Mushu suggested.

“I don’t see how. Shang is way too caught up in laws and hierarchy; he prioritizes it over the people he cares about.”

“And you disagree with that?”

“Yes!” Mulan shot at him before stopping to think about her answer, “I mean … yes to a point. Of course if it’s something big like people getting hurt, then lawful interference is needed, but with this, it’s our two friends who ran away to create a better life for themselves. No one is getting hurt, nothing really _bad_ is happening. Why can’t we just leave them be!?”

“I think your argument makes a lot of sense,” Mushu told her, perching himself on her head and handing the envelope back to her, “...and I think if you explain it to Shang the way you did to me, it’ll make sense to him too.”

“You think?”

“I do. Even if he doesn’t agree, he’ll at least get where you’re coming from.”

Mulan looked away from him and thought about what he said. _Maybe he was right. He could get to at least know her side. They may even grow to better understand one another._

“It’s your choice, of course,” he reminded her, “but remember, the only person you seem to be hurtin’ by keeping this a secret is yourself; and I don’t like seeing you hurt.”

His words broke her and she took the dragon into a hug by surprise, small tears streaming down her cheeks, “Mushu, what am I going to do without you?”

_Mulan had made up her mind; she was going to tell Shang the truth. He might hate her, but keeping it a secret wasn’t worth it. They needed to be honest with one another._

Mulan mounted Khan and made her way through the roads. Shang lived on the far side of town, but her ordeal couldn’t wait. Every minute she spent keeping the secret, she felt as if the lie got worse. As she continued along the path however, she began to second guess her decision.

_Maybe she shouldn’t do this. Keeping it from him wasn’t hurting anyone!_

_Yes it is; it’s hurting her! Besides, what’s the worst thing that could happen if she told him?_

_He’d hate her for lying! He’ll never forgive her!_

_That’s not true! They’ve been through far worse than this! They would get past this!_

As Mulan arrived at the gates of the Li house, she had made peace with her decision. If Shang was upset with her, it was alright. She would’ve deserved it. She was sure she could make things better, but that needed to start with first making things right.

She tied Khan off to a pole, assuring him she’d be back soon, before timidly making her way inside the estate. This was actually the first time she’d entered his home, and all she could say was it was very different from her own. It wasn’t built around farming or livestock, so the bustling sound of animals that she’d grown accustomed to in her own house was absent. This estate was built around cleanliness, luxury, and power. The architecture and layout had a way of making her feel small and insignificant, as if she didn’t belong there, and a shiver traveled down her spine as a reality struck her. _Soon this would be her home._

As she made her way to the actual house’s front porch, she was greeted by an extremely large statue of a lion. _Like our Great Stone Dragon, this must be a Li family Guardian!_ Its eyes seemed to follow her as she slowly walked past it, and she felt somehow drawn to it, As she approached it, an overwhelming urge to touch the statue flowed through her.

“You are not worthy to dawn in ShiShi’s presence, let alone lay a hand on him!” a voice called from behind her, catching Mulan off guard.

She yipped and turned around in a panic to see Shang’s mother standing before her, her hands folded behind her, and a stern look on her face.

“Honorable Tàitài Shu,” Mulan immediately greeted her, going down in a bow for respect, “I didn’t mean … I was just...”

“Shishi is here to guard our household from dangers to it… that includes _riffraff_ trying to enter it.”

“Heheh… yeah. Riffraff...” Mulan repeated without thinking.

Shu rolled her eyes at the girl, ready to dismiss any possible request she would make.

"So … ShiShi? That’s a cute name,” Mulan commented, trying to break the invisible wall between them.

“Cute?!” Shu repeated in utter disbelief, “this is a family guardian, not a pet! They protect us! They are to be admired, not fawned over! They are wise and brave warriors!”

“They’re so much more than that though,” Mulan said, placing a hand on her shoulder and thinking of Mushu, “they are comforts and friends.” 

_Oh, how much he meant to her. Oh how she would miss him._

“Yes, I’m sure you would know,” Shu said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes once again, “now why exactly are you here?”

“I was actually wondering if I could talk to Shang.”

“My son is much too busy, child. If your message is urgent, then I suppose I can pass it along.”

Mulan took a second to process her offer before responding, “I think I’d really rather talk to him privately.”

“Oh, I see,” Shu said harshly.

“What do you mean?”

“If whatever you want to tell my son can’t be said to me, it just shows how heinous or unsavory your intentions are.”

“No! It’s...”

Mulan stopped to think about what she had said. _She had every reason to think that way, but she couldn’t tell her! It just wasn’t an option._

In light of her silence, Shu continued, “Why he chose you, I will never know. You’re not fit to wed my son! A high class, educated man such as himself; he should be marrying…”

“But we’re already married!” Mulan interrupted. 

Her statement caught Shu by surprise and her eyes widened, “Pardon?”

“He… he didn’t tell you?” Mulan realized. It wasn’t her place to speak, but she’d already started the conversation…

“He did not. Would you care to inform me?” The woman requested firmly, contempt written on her face. 

_She wasn’t getting out of this one… she’d have to confess. What should she do? How would she make the situation look good for her!?_

_Think! Think! Think!_

_Shu carries herself with arrogance, right? No, with confidence! That’s what she needed to do! Confidence. Just project confidence!_

“The two of us were married in Qui Gong during our mission,” Mulan stated as calmly as she could. Reading Shang’s mother’s reaction, she could tell she needed to do more, _say more_. 

“The Emperor himself acknowledged our union.”

A second after the words escaped her lips, Mulan could tell she had taken the wrong approach. Shu was furious. 

_Confidence! Confidence was not good! She should’ve chosen remorse or regret! What had she done!?_

“You dare marry out of the country against my approval!?” she yelled at her, looking as if she were ready to fight. 

“No! We…” Mulan tried to counter, but she couldn’t get a word in. 

“And then you have the audacity to keep such a matter secret from me!” her voice grew louder, and one could feel the tension grow all around them, “this is a complete and utter act of disrespect against the Li house! And with the Emperor’s involvement, the two of your actions have made a mockery of us!”

Mulan stood there in fear, unable to formulate her thoughts. 

_No! They didn’t choose to marry like that! It happened spontaneously! It wasn’t their fault! Why won’t she listen!?_

“You deceitful girl!” Shu started, raising a finger at Mulan, “I am now forced to let you into my house, but I will **never** accept you into my family! Leave here at once! I don’t want to see you again until the ceremony!”

“But wait! I…”

“ **Now!** ”

Fear washed over her as Mulan ran out of the estate. She retrieved Khan and rode away as swiftly as he would allow. Once she was far enough away, she broke down and began to cry. 

_Everything was ruined.; she couldn’t tell Shang the truth now! If word got out to Shu that she had lied further, she’d never be able to redeem herself. Her secret would have to stay a secret, and as much as it would eat away at her, she couldn’t allow herself to let it go._

**_It’s like with every action she took, she was digging deeper into her own grave._ **


	16. The Wedding (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big day is finally here!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright!!!!!!! This took me like 2 weeks to write, so I hope you like it!!!!!
> 
> I'm doing my best on wedding customs. I looked up quite a few different references, including an article about an individual's personal experience at a Chinese wedding that included a very helpful order of events. I hope I didn't mess it up!!!!

The coming days passed slowly. Mulan attempted to register concern about Shang’s mother with her parents, but it was met with a well-meaning dismissal.

_It’s perfectly normal to feel that way. Leaving the only home you’ve ever known for another, there’s bound to be that thought of unwelcomeness._

_Many young brides often struggle with being accepted by their in-laws; you’re not alone. Just give it some time, she’ll warm up._

Despite all that, there was much to do to keep Mulan occupied and avoid stressing about the matter. It was not long before dowries and betrothal gifts were exchanged and the ceremonies could officially begin. 

On the eve of the big day, various preparations were underway, and family members filled the various guest rooms of the Fa house. Most of them were distant aunts, uncles, and cousins invited on a sort of obligation, but there were a few faces here and there that Mulan could match names to. Her father, however, greeted every family with equal delight, despite how close or distant they were, and by some miracle seemed to have each person on a sort of internal catalog, knowing who each and every one of them was along with the names of their spouses and children. It impressed her, to say the least.

Little time was allocated for Mulan and Shang to be together… at least for now. _But they did have the rest of their lives for that, she supposed._ Mulan spent a majority of her day with her female relatives and various female family friends. These kinds of events made her wish she’d spent more time amassing friends in her youth; most of these girls were strangers to her. Nevertheless, they offered nothing but positivity and support. A small banquet was thrown as the girls threw around jokes and stories while elders offered advice on events to come. 

When night was finally upon them, the ladies were dismissed. Mulan’s mother and grandmother then led the girl to a bath they had prepared. Her hair was washed and combed through before she was released to bed. _This was likely the last night she would spend there._

The morning started peacefully. Mulan awoke early in the morning and was greeted by the serenity of cool air and silence. _One that she knew would soon cease as the atmosphere would fill with the heat and sound of their plethora of guests._ She looked around for her dragon guardian, hoping she would get to exchange a last goodbye, but he had been absent for a few days; likely to make his peace with the ancestors. It was unfortunate; in a way he was the truest friend she had ever had, and soon he would be out of her life forever... 

As she rose, she spotted her mother standing tenderly in the doorway, waiting to guide her. Upon walking towards her, Mulan identified the emotion in her eyes. It was loving, it was joyous, it was proud, _and yet at the same time, it was so sad._

“Are you ready?” Fa Li asked her in a whisper.

Mulan met her inquiry with a somber smile, “I think so.”

Her mother hugged her and dismissed her to wash for the morning before leading the two of them back to her room where her grandmother was now waiting for her. They also shared an embrace before beginning to help her into her dress.

“Now, just don’t overthink it, and you’ll be fine,” Grandma Fa assured her.

Fa Li nodded in agreement before tending to a matter across the room. Mulan’s Grandmother seized the opportunity and pulled the young girl close, “And don’t listen to a thing that ol’ windbag has to say!”

Mulan looked at her in a bit of freight and confusion, gesturing to her mother, puzzled.

“Not her!” Grandma Fa clarified, “your soon-to-be husband’s jerk of a Ma!”

“Oh,” Mulan breathed out a sigh of relief, “I will… I mean I won’t!”

The woman put on a light-hearted smile before patting the girl on the shoulder, “You’ve got this… wouldn’t hurt for you to have a lucky cricket right about now, though.”

As if on cue, a small cricket ran itself down Mulan’s arm and perched itself on her finger to greet her.

Mulan couldn’t help but let out a small giggle at the occurrence, “This is Cri Kee,” she introduced.

Once Mulan was dressed she took a moment to examine the gown. It seemed her mom and her grandmother had reached a compromise; the dress’ top was pink while a purple trim wrapped down its dark red skirt. It wasn’t the most traditional thing, but then again, _neither was she_. She saw a bit of herself in the garment, and she liked it. 

After she was settled in her outfit, a small army of girls entered the room to help her with her makeup, while her grandma and mother styled her hair. With everything essentially being done for her, Mulan just had to focus on relaxing - letting things happen. _Don’t overthink it. It’ll be fine._

Meanwhile, outside of the house, a large gathering had amassed. Firecrackers at the ready, and impatient onlookers filled the estate. For now, all eyes were on Shang. Many members of his own family were there as well. Like Mulan’s, they’d arrived in the days before and helped to attend to various matters surrounding the festivities. Once he was given the green light, he’d brave the crowd and receive Mulan from her room, but for now he found joy mingling with the crowd. Ling and Chien-Po in particular had come to be excellent company. His lack of authority over them at the moment proved especially helpful as they poked fun at every aspect of him and offered him various methods of support; one could assume which of the men did what.

_“You look ridiculous!”_

_“Can I get you some water?”_

_“You sure Mulan actually said yes? You do know she’s too good for you, right?”_

_“Is the crowd too loud? I can try asking them to settle down.”_

Shang’s mother had decided to stay at home to make sure everything was in order for their arrival. _At least that’s what she told him._ His father would be happy for him right now, he just knew it. _How he could use his support right now._

“Hi, Shang!” A little voice screamed out of the crowd. 

Shang turned to the sound and found Sha-Ron waving at him with a hoard of smiling girls behind her. 

“Hi, little warriors!” Shang greeted them.

This crowd was really Mulan’s territory, but he was always happy to talk to the kids.

“This place is loud,” one of the kids told him.

“And crowded,” the girl behind her squeaked, yanking her leg free from the huge crowd.

“Yeah, it is...” Shang tried to respond.

“Is it time to eat yet?” one of the girls interrupted. “Our mom said not to eat any breakfast cause we’d get food here,” her twin continued.

“Uh...” Shang brought a hand to his head. _He didn’t know. And what was he supposed to do about the noise and the crowd?_

“Cadets!” Sha-Ron yelled, getting the girls’ attention as they all stood still and saluted, “we’re ‘posed to be guarding this wedding! Not complaining! Back to work!”

Shang looked on in confusion as the girls all let out sighs in disappointment and waved goodbye to him, dispersing into the crowd. _What had just happened???_

“Sorry, that’s the army I told ya ‘bout,” Sha-Ron explained to him, “they’re s’posed to be dis’plined, but they sometimes fall outta line.”

Shang let out a forced laugh, still as confused as before. _Wasn’t she the one that brought them there in the first place?_

“Anyways, my mom said I had to give this to you, but I didn’t know when, so here!” the girl said as she handed him a hongbao.

“Oh... thanks,” Shang said as he timidly took the envelope. _It was supposed to be given to him a bit later, but he figured it would be less hectic to hang onto it rather than explain the whole procedure to her._

“We’re gonna go back out and work on lesson number 2! Number 1 was good, but we’re ready to beat stuff up!” the girl declared before grabbing a stick off the ground and running away with it.

Shang seized the opportunity to exhale as she disappeared into the crowd. _He really didn’t understand children at all._

Some time had passed when Shang was approached by a tall figure who made his way towards him with the help of a cane. **It was Fa Zhou.**

“How do you feel, son?” Mulan’s father asked him.

The title was extremely comforting to Shang. Fa Zhou by no means had the same demeanor as his dad, but he was incredibly loving and sincere. With his own father absent, there was no person on Earth he could fathom who could possibly fill the position.

“I think I’m doing well… I’m ready.”

“Good. Good.”

The two stood together for a moment, just taking in the view. The decorations. All the people who had come together for this day. It was beautiful.

“It’s time, Li Shang,” he declared, turning to Shang with a loving smile, “take care of her. She’s a good girl.”

“I know,” Shang said, going down in a small bow, “I promise, I will.”

He finally began to make his way towards the house as the crowd cheered him on. After going through various obstacles and handing out his own hongbaos to the members of the bridal party, he arrived at Mulan’s door. Inside he found her sitting on her bed, patiently awaiting his arrival. He knelt to greet her and the two of them exchanged a smile and a hug before he took her by the hand and led her out of the room.

Walking back through the house, all that could be heard was clapping and cheers of joy and support. The couple reconvened with Mulan’s family to complete the first tea ceremony. The couple poured the cups and served Mulan’s grandmother and parents with the utmost amount of care. The motion made Mulan extremely anxious, seeing how she’d struggled to do this properly in the past, but it went down without a sinch. Before long, it was complete.

Mulan’s family pulled her aside to get some time alone. The motion allowed the weight of the situation to fully dawn on her. _She was leaving her home; her family. Her entire life was changing today._ The moment they were away from the crowd and behind closed doors, Mulan allowed her facade to fade and she broke down and began to cry into her mother’s arms.

“Oh… no, no, no, no, no,” Fa Li cooed as she hugged her daughter and stroked her head, “it’s okay. You’re okay.”

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Mulan said raspily, out of breath, “all of you. What am I going to do without you?”

Fa Zhou and her grandmother joined the hug as well.

“Change is good. It’s a part of life,” her father told her, lovingly holding her tighter, “and it’s perfectly normal to be sad about it; that’s your right as a person, but don’t spend too long dwelling on the sadness. You’ll miss opportunities to form even happier memories.”

“And we’re not going anywhere,” Grandma Fa assured her, “we’re just a horse ride away. If you ever need us, we’ll be right here.”

Mulan pulled away from the hug and wiped her eyes, “I love you all so much...”

“We love you too, dear. More than you could possibly imagine,” Fa Li said as she extended an arm to graze her daughter’s cheek, “and you’ll be back here tomorrow, don’t forget. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Mulan told them as she tried to calm herself down, “thank you.”

As she started away, her skirt was pulled back by a frantic Little Brother. Mulan noticed the dog and immediately fell to the ground to embrace him.

Once affection was exchanged, she lightly stroked his head, “I’ll be back tomorrow boy, I promise.”

After giving the puppy up to give a light kiss, she picked herself up and returned to Shang. The two interlocked hands once again as her family gave them their wedding gifts; boxes that were likely filled with gold and jewelry to help them begin their new life.

The couple made their way through the house, being cheered on as they went. Various people handed them hongbaos, while others reached out for contact. Once they were outside, a path was cleared for them, and as they walked down firecrackers went off behind them. It was a full-blown celebration that left the two with little to do but smile and laugh along with ceremonial gestures being performed.

At the end of the path, a carriage drawn by both Mulan and Shang’s horses awaited them. Turning back to the guests, the couple waved before entering the structure together. It would lead them to Shang’s home and all the guests would follow. It also marked one of the first times the two of them had gotten a chance to be alone that day. The two seized the chance to relax a bit and breathe as the carriage began to move.

“How are you doing?” Shang asked, shifting his weight onto one arm to face Mulan.

“Tired,” Mulan sighed, turning to face him as well, “but good. You?”

“I’m doing alright. It wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be.”

“Mmmm,” Mulan smiled before addressing him again, “how’s your mother doing?”

“As good as you’d expect,” Shang shrugged off.

Mulan frowned and looked away from him. _This was because of her last meeting with Shu..._

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Shang tried to assure her, “you didn’t know I hadn’t told my mother what had happened in Qui Gong. It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have kept it from her. **Secrets lead to nothing but problems.** ”

The sentiment he had used to try and make her feel better made the sharp pain of her guilt worse. _She was keeping a secret from him._ **_A stupid secret, at that!_ ** _It didn’t need to be this way! She wanted them to be able to trust one another. This was the first day of the rest of their lives!_

“Shang, I...” she started to say when she was interrupted by the carriage coming to a halt. 

**They had arrived.**

Shang took Mulan by the hand and helped her out of the carriage. Behind them was the crowd of guests that had followed, and in front of them stood none other than Shang’s mother, Shu; her hands folded behind her back and a stern look on her face as usual. The couple greeted her and were led inside along with the crowd.

The tea ceremony was performed once again, this time for the Li family; its small size made it much easier, but Shu’s presence was still haunting to Mulan. Fortunately, it was completed without incident, and the most daunting of ceremonial tasks were now behind them.

A giant feast was held for all the guests, and things took on a more casual and festive tone. Kids were fed and played out in the courtyard while adults helped themselves to food and wine. Mulan and Shang were taken to the bridal chamber where close members of their party did everything possible to disturb them: knock on the door, tap the window, pretend to start a fight outside, or just randomly scream. 

_It was mostly Ling._

After some time, things seemed to settle down and the two got a genuine chance to talk to one another. _Mulan knew what she needed to do._

“Shang, I need to tell you something,” Mulan finally admitted with an urgent tone.

“What’s wrong?” Shang asked her worriedly.

“Shang...” Mulan bit her thumb before pushing past her fears and speaking, “Shang I lied to you!”

“What do you mean?”

“That hongbao you saw in my room last week; it was from Mei! She was here! I just didn’t tell you!”

Shang just stared at her, unsure of what to say.

“I didn’t _want_ to lie to you! I just didn’t want to hurt Mei and Yao… and I didn’t want you to leave! I was afraid if you knew, you’d go out to find them. I’m sorry. It was dumb and it was wrong,” at this point there were tears forming in her eyes, “I tried to tell you the truth, but then the whole thing with your mother happened… and… and I’m just so sorry! I Should’ve never lied. I shouldn’t be keeping any secrets from you!”

Mulan’s face was now buried in her hands and her legs folded in front of her. 

“Hey,” Shang said as he moved closer to her and tried to calm her down, “it’s alright. I’m not mad.”

“You’re not?”

“Well, I’m not happy that you lied to me, but I’m glad that you went out to make it right,” he explained, “honestly, I’d actually spent some time thinking about what you had said… about this being Mei and Yao’s choice, and I realized that you were right. They made their decision, and as their friends, we needed to respect that.”

Mulan looked up at him and started to smile, her eyes still shining from her burst of emotion, “...Shang,” she managed to get out before pulling him into a hug, “thank you.”

Once they pulled away from one another, there was a sense of relief and calm all around them; like they could say anything to one another now.

“So, as long as we’re on the topic of not keeping secrets, is there anything else you wanted to tell me?” Shang asked her.

“Well… uh...” Mulan began, bringing herself back to a normal sitting position and placing her hands on her knees, “...tomorrow when we go back to my house, I have every intention of kidnapping Little Brother and bringing him back here to live with us.”

Shang took a second to process what she had said before laughing, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

**_With that, the two were at peace. They had a feeling everything would turn out just fine._ **


	17. The Wedding (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 of Mulan and Shang's wedding! How will things go? Let's find out!

Night passed quickly, and it seemed like no sooner than when the couple fell asleep they were awoken again. Luckily, the to-do list for today would prove much less hectic and stressful than the day prior. A celebratory reception was to be held at the Fa house, as a sort of final farewell and send off to their daughter. In all honesty, Mulan couldn’t wait for it.

It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the Li house; the building itself was gorgeous, and the grounds, while lacking in animals and livestock that she was accustomed to, were lovely, and she would likely spend hours strolling them if given the opportunity. It was just something didn’t feel quite right. She’d had an easier time acquainting herself with the raggedy tent she’d made her months-long home at the Wu Zhong training camp than she did in this house. Oddly enough, she felt even more out of place here; like she didn’t belong. She’d spent last night tossing and turning, waiting for sleep to take her, but for the longest time, it refused. All she could do was hope things would get less complicated in time. 

“Did you sleep alright?” Shang dared to ask as Mulan woke up.

“Yeah, great,” she lied. 

_ It wasn’t like there was anything he could do. Why drag him into her problems? _

The two rose and went about their morning routine, much of which involved Shang helping Mulan to navigate the house. She hated having to be so dependent, but she let it go.  _ She’d get it soon enough.  _ Unfortunately for her, an average routine in this household would also involve breakfast with the oh so renowned, Tàitài Shu.

The trio sat down and had bowls and teacups handed to them by a servant; very different from Mulan’s home on an average day. They spent a moment in an awkward silence before beginning their meal. The silence lingered on as Shu stared at Mulan indifferently, Shang’s glances shifted between the two of them, and Mulan just stared down at her food, unsure of what to do.  _ While in the privacy of her mind, she had many times fantasized about asserting herself in front of her and having Shang’s mother simply accept her as she was, she could never bring herself to do such a thing. Rude and pompous and arrogant and … and as downright annoying as Shu was, she was still Shang’s mother, and disrespect toward her would be disrespect toward him. _

“So, Li… I mean Ma… uh,” Mulan started in an effort to break the silence, only to find herself in a predicament, “I’m sorry, do I… or rather, may I call you ‘Mother’?”

_ Her own Mother referred to her grandmother in that manner, so was that to be the norm from now on? She honestly didn’t know. _

Shu sipped from her cup, holding her chin high in a cold dismissal of her question before bringing herself to answer, “No, you may not.”

Mulan and Shang looked to each other at a loss before Shang replied, “Then what would you prefer?”

Shu put her cup and saucer down with a harsh clank, “Madam or Ma’am will do.”

Mulan’s face read a hint of disappointment as she lowered her head, “Of course, Ma’am… will you be joining us for the reception at my parent’s house?”

“I suppose,” she responded and then continued to eat her meal.

Mulan looked at her for several moments following, thinking she’d say something, anything else, but there was nothing. The conversation had been cut off and the three remained in silence until breakfast’s end. Shu was the first to leave the table, but it wasn’t long before Shang and Mulan followed her lead.

  
  


“Shang, I think your mom hates me,” Mulan confessed to him as the two made their way down the hall.

“My mom hates everyone,” Shang tried to clarify, “she’s never been much of a… honestly, she’s not really the nurturing motherly type.”

“It’s not just that, though. It’s like… You know what it’s like! It’s like Chi Fu!”

Shang turned to her as they walked, urging her to elaborate.

“I mean, sure, he was a jerk to everyone, but you could tell that he hated you and me in particular!”

Shang stroked his chin in contemplation of her statement; he could definitely see where she was coming from.

“She’s clearly still mad at… this,” she said as she gestured to the two of them, “she never wanted us to be together, and now look at us! Shang, what’s gonna happen?”

Shang stopped, examining the scared and melancholy look on Mulan’s face before taking her hand, “She’s just going to have to get used to us because we’re here, we’re together, and now we’re married; there’s nothing that she can do to change that.” 

At this point, he’d pulled Mulan into a hug, which she reciprocated without hesitation. Seeing his firm stance on the matter helped to calm her down; not that she ever worried he thought otherwise, just knowing how much their relationship meant to him.  _ And he was right! Things would no doubt get better for them, she just had to wait. _

The two then proceeded to prepare for the day. While Shang stepped outside to take care of a separate matter, Mulan arranged her clothes on the bed, ready to dawn the wedding dress that she’s grown to love once again. As she got herself into her outfit and prepared for the day, she was able to snap a look in the mirror and examine herself to make a judgment.  _ What would be best for her? _ After some thought, Mulan decided to leave her hair down; she was more comfortable that way, and she wanted the entirety of the day’s memory to be joyous. Once that was resolved, it wasn’t long before she was ready to go along with Shang, who had returned shortly after he left. 

The couple made their way through the house and waited by the stable for Shu so they could leave. Mulan couldn’t help but notice Shang carrying a wooden chest.  _ Perhaps he was bringing a gift for her parents. There was no need to inquire, Shang always knew what he was doing. _

After a few minutes passed, the sound of slamming doors and screens could be heard from inside the house. Angry footsteps approached the two of them until a furious Shu emerged from the home.

“You!” she yelled with a trampling finger pointed directly at Mulan, “who gave you the right!?”

Mulan flinched in a mixture of total fear and confusion.  _ What had she done now? What on Earth had she done??? _

Shang stepped in front of her, shielding Mulan from most of his mother’s view, “She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No!? I was just going out to pray at the shrine for the fate of our family, in light of  _ recent events _ ,” she said as she glared at the little bit of Mulan she could still see, “and I found our temples had been combined with that of THE FA FAMILY! Who else do you think would’ve done such a thing!?”

“Mother, that was me, not Mulan!” Shang declared.

All of Shu’s movements stilled and her eyes widened, “You…? Why… why in the world would you..?”

“Come on, we can’t be late to the reception,” Shang interrupted as he mounted his horse.

Shu stood in shock at the situation, turning to Mulan who timidly made her way towards Khan and rode off in Shang’s direction. _ She wasn’t quite sure what was going on, or even what ‘combining the temples’ meant, but she wasn’t about to make this situation any worse. _

The woman gained control of herself once again with aggravated “hmph” before following the two children.  _ What was her son possibly thinking?! This was unacceptable! _

The three arrived at the Fa manor around noon. A friendly crowd had gathered and the family had already begun serving the guests, as Grandmother Fa and Li were already working small horderves around the crowd and Fa Zhou made sure all the guests were welcomed. Upon noticing that the couple had arrived, they all abandoned their posts to greet them. 

They pressed questions about how the young couple was handling the change, and if there was any way they could help, to which Mulan and Shang respectfully declined.  _ They were okay. _ Mulan’s parents then reassured the two that everything here was for them, and they should feel free to have fun and enjoy themselves. 

“Thank you so much, sir,” Shang told Fa Zhou with a respectful bow.

“Yes! Thank you! For everything!” Mulan joined in, pulling her parents and grandmother into a large, loving hug.

Shu simply lingered in the background, not saying a word. She waited for the pleasantries to be over before simply walking away and disappearing into the crowd.

“Should we follow her? Make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble?” Mulan suggested.

“Nah, it wouldn’t help,” Shang dismissed, “if she wants to start anything she’ll do it whether we’re there or not. She’s probably just going to lean against a wall and complain to whoever passes by. We’re better off just enjoying the day.”

Mulan couldn’t help but giggle at the image of Tàitài Shu crankily lurking at the party grumbling to everyone who crossed her path; it was so  _ her _ , “I guess you’re right. Let's go!”

It was mere minutes after the two started about the party that they ran into Ling and Chien Po. The two once again gave the couple their congratulations, but they seemed to be in a bigger rush to tease Shang than to swap pleasantries with Mulan.  _ That was fine. _

As the two men dragged poor Shang away, Mulan walked a bit further into the crowd, greeting guests as she passed them, and accepting their good wishes. Soon she ran into a flurry of familiar faces; it was Sha-Ron and all the girls she had trained!

“Fa Mulan is here!” one of them screamed.

“Yes, I’m...” Mulan started happily before being cut off.

“Of course she is! It’s her wedding, doofus!” another girl responded.

“Now that’s not very...” Mulan tried again.

“But she wasn’t here!” another girl pointed out.

“You don’t KNOW that!”

One statement brought on another, eventually leading to a sea of little arguing voices.

Mulan looked back and forth at the small bickering faces before acting, “Attention!” she asserted, a foot stomping the ground.

The girls immediately silenced themselves and stared at her for further guidance.

“Look, in this case, you’re all right,” she explained, crouching down to be more at their level, “it is Shang and my wedding, so we should’ve been here earlier. We were just running a little bit late. There’s no need for name calling though.”

The girls all nodded at her in understanding and spent a few moments looking down in shame for their actions before resuming business as usual.

Sha-Ron walked out past the group of girls towards Mulan with a small bundle in her hand, “This is from all of us. It’s a present! We made it ourselves!” she said proudly.

Mulan gratefully picked it up, all the girls smiling at her as she unraveled it.  _ It was a pink flower crown. _

Mulan placed it on her head and smiled, “Aww, you guys! I love it!!!” she proclaimed, drawing as many of the girls as she could into a hug, “thank you!”

When they finally drew away from the hug, Mulan promised them all that she’d get back to their training very soon. With that, they all thanked her and skipped merrily away.

  
  


Mulan seized this opportunity to finally step away from the crowd. It wasn’t that she wasn’t enjoying herself and all the company that had shown up; she was! She just cherished a few moments with her thoughts every now and again. She made her way back into her family’s garden. Closing in on the small creek that flowed through the area, she was able to catch her reflection.  _ It was true. She did quite like the flower crown… in fact, she liked everything. The dress, her hair, even the smile that she wore at the mere thought. She was honestly happy with everything her reflection was showing her;  _ **_she was happy with herself._ **

Mulan walked around the garden, sliding a hand over the bridge and taking in the landscape she had seen oh so many times. As happy as she was to move on, to be with Shang,  _ she would miss this place. It was her home, where she lived and played, and made some of her greatest friends. Like Little Brother … and Mushu. Mushu! _ Her mind was now overcome with urgency; this would be her last chance to say goodbye to him! She couldn’t let it slip by!

She rushed towards the Fa shrine when she became aware of a fireworks show going on in the main square.  _ Entertaining the guests. _ While she and Shang should technically be there to enjoy it as well, this presented the perfect distraction that would allow her to get a moment to bid farewell to her friend. Right as she started up the hill leading to the structure, she heard a voice calling out to her.

“Mulan!”

She turned and saw Shang racing to catch up with her, the chest from earlier still tight in his hand.

“Shang, I really don’t have time. This is my last chance to...”

“I know,” he said with a smile as he caught up to her, “and I’m here to help,” he explained, raising the chest in his hand as if the two things were related.

Mulan looked at him in confusion; she didn’t quite know what he was up to, but she wouldn’t refuse his company.

The two walked up to the Fa family shrine, Shang clutching the chest he had brought with him in his arms. Once inside, Shang kneeled down and placed the chest on the floor.

“Shang, what are you doing?” Mulan asked him as she leaned over to get a better look.

“Watch and see,” Shang instructed as he pulled a small tablet out of the container and leaned it against the surrounding shrines.

As he did so, the couple became aware of a sound coming from the ceiling of the structure. As they looked up to observe, a little red dragon jumped down to the floor in celebration.

“Oh, yeah! I’m back, baby! I’m back!” the small serpent yelled before becoming aware that he was no longer hidden among the ancestors and the fellow guardians' statue forms, “oops.”

Shang looked down at the small creature skeptically, “So this is the famous Mushu?”

“Mm-hmm,” Mulan assured him, shooting a mischievous look Mushu’s way, but still eternally grateful to see him again.

“Somehow I pictured you… bigger,” Shang explained, framing the dragon with his hands.

“Say what!?” Mushu exclaimed at Shang’s sentiment before turning towards Mulan, “You told him about me? About us!?”

Mulan laughed and placed a hand on Shang’s chest, “I have no secrets from my husband, Mushu. I told him  _ everything _ .”

Mushu gulped nervously, “Everything, everything?”

“That’s right, ‘Great Golden Dragon of Unity’,” Shang said mockingly with a bow. 

Mulan joined in the fun, exchanging laughter before getting back to the issue at hand.  _ He was joining the temples, right? What his mother had been furious at him for doing earlier... _ **_but why? What did it mean?_ **

“I still don’t get it. What does joining our temples do?”

“It gives me back my pedestal!” Mushu proclaimed in pure glee and excitement.

“Oh...” Mulan began to contemplate before turning to Shang, “but can you do this? Aren’t there rules?”

Shang smiled at her and cupped her hands, “Of course, right next to the rules about dressing up like a man and joining the army,” he replied in a mockingly loving tone.

The two laughed a bit and drew closer together when Mushu jumped onto Shang’s hat and started playing with its flaps, “Well, whaddya know; this thing might work out after all!”

As Mulan and Shang rejoiced, the events led to a flurry of statements from Mushu towards the ancestors that the couple dismissed as they made their way back towards the festivities. Children chased each other across the square, while many of the other guests were either seated with their meals, or mingling with the crowd. The occasional party would stop by to congratulate Mulan and Shang, many complementing Mulan’s dress or patting Shang on the back for a job well done. Such gestures seemed to embarrass the General, but Mulan found it adorable.

At this point, even Little Brother had been released from his holding pin and excitedly proceeded to greet the crowd and beg for food.  _ Everyone just seemed happy.  _ Chien Po and Ling found them as well, and the four of them enjoyed a quite enjoyable little chat. In the corner of her eye, Mulan even caught Shu in a corner conversing with some of the guests; she was too far away to say for sure, but it was quite likely that there was a smile on her face as she did so! Mulan was happy, aside from the teasing, Shang was happy, her family was thrilled, her friends rejoiced for them, she wouldn’t have to say goodbye to Mushu after all, and even Shang’s mother seemed to be loosening up!  _ Everything today was just perfect! _

  
  


As the sentiment crossed her mind, the sound of a horse-drawn carriage caught her ear; she speculated that she may just be hearing things amongst the crowd, but it wasn’t just her. Shang, Ling, and Chien Po all turned to each other as well to see if they all shared the same alarm. The four of them made their way to the gates, where an elegant driver had stalled an Imperial white stallion outside. The elaborate doors to the carriage it drew opened slowly, and from them a familiar figure emerged.

_ It was Princess Ting Ting. _

As she walked down the carriage’s steps, she held a fan to her face and looked at them solemnly. Once on the ground, she closed the fan and looked directly at Ling.

**_“I’ve come to say goodbye.”_ **


	18. An Imperial Burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ting Ting has arrived to bid her friends farewell, but what reason does she have to say goodbye?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am REALLY sorry I haven't updated in so long! A lot of personal stuff came up. Just know I hate to let any of you down!

Ting Ting’s sentiment had been all but complementary to the mood of the day, and the four friends found themselves wide-eyed and speechless in the state of shock and confusion that had overtaken them.

Upon reading the situation and examining the carefree crowd within the gates of the estate, the princess felt blood rush to her face and immediately took a step back.

“Oh my goodness, I apologize! I didn’t mean to interrupt an occasion!” 

“No, no! Don’t worry about it!” Mulan and Shang insisted, doing little to quell the girl’s shame and embarrassment. 

The group led Ting Ting inside and to an empty table, so she could sit. In perhaps any other setting, her presence would have sparked a firestorm, but in this small village at a celebration such as this one, she simply disappeared into the crowd as a rich party guest.

Once she was settled, Ling placed a concerned hand on her shoulder and she looked up to meet his gaze with sad eyes.

“What happened?” Chien Po asked in his ever so soft tone.

“No. No. This can’t be about me,” Ting Ting pressed as she turned to Mulan and Shang who had taken their seats beside her, “this is your wedding, is it not?” 

_ They were engaged when she had met them; that coupled with both the celebration and the attire they currently dawned made the situation clear. _

“It’s your day. I really had no idea, and I would’ve never started that way had I known,” she apologized again.

Mulan and Shang turned to each other and exchanged thoughtful glances before nodding in agreement; Mulan then reached out a hand and settled it on top of Ting Ting’s.

“It’s absolutely fine,” she insisted, “and now that we know something’s troubling you,  _ we _ won’t be able to relax until we know what it is and how we can help … It’s what friends do.”

Ting Ting looked up at the girl in a sort of awe.  _ She had no idea Mulan had considered her a friend, and up to this point, she didn’t even consider whether or not she considered Mulan one! _ The issue didn’t come up often in her life; her duty was to her people, and her family acted as her support; that was it. The revelation that she had friends in this world was an unexpected, and yet welcome one.

Finally seeing as she was among good, trusting company, she decided that she could open up to the situation in which she had landed herself.

**_“It all started a little over a week ago...”_ **

  
  


Mei had run away only a sum of days prior, and the palace was still in a state of disarray. Her absence at the table and about the day still did much to haunt Su and herself; slight noises and movements in the distance would cause their hearts to race with the hope that their nightmares were over, only to have that hope torn down with every realization that their sister was still gone. It was torturous. 

While he’d never admit to it, the princesses could see the toll Mei’s actions had taken on their father as well. He’d make every excuse and play it off as if he couldn’t care less, but whenever a potential scout would enter his sight, he’d rush to interrogate them, desperate for any news as to his daughter’s whereabouts. He may have been harsh on them; he may have entrusted them with an extreme amount of responsibility,  **but he still loved them so.**

Ting Ting could see changes occurring all around her, and it worried her greatly. Su had lost her famous appetite in the days following Mei’s disappearance and seemed to prefer spending most of her days in bed. To make matters worse, their father had become obsessed with making sure her and her sister had no possible means of an escape that they weren’t even interested in pursuing. More guards had been assigned to patrol the palace grounds, and on top of that, he had all the guards in the palace reassigned. One could tell this was an act of intention; the emperor didn’t want anyone left there who might favor the ambitions of her or Su in the name of comradery, as that may inspire them to bend rules in the girls’ favor; however, in that process, they had lost many of the dear acquaintances they had amassed over the years. On top of this, the sisters were also placed under a strict curfew and unwavering schedule. Their father wanted to make sure he knew where they were at all times. If this mentality went on, the girls would be left with no freedom at all! Something had to be done.

In an effort to find a solution, Ting Ting asked that she redesignate some of her allocated studying and free time to be spent alongside her father as he managed diplomatic affairs. He saw no problem with her request as it placed her directly under his watch, so he agreed. Ting Ting hoped to use this time to potentially get some words in with him along with ease his burden of decision making and help to set the man’s mind at ease. If she could do that, perhaps she could make life better for Su again; she had already lost one sister, she didn’t want to lose another.

The next day, Ting Ting entered the war room timidly and found herself arriving in the midst of an argument between one of the empire’s leading military officials and her father as council member Chi Fu took notes of all the important exchanges that occurred. 

“Your Majesty, I know the search for your daughter is of your highest personal priority, but you can’t simply ignore the grave dilemma that grows closer to us with each passing day!” the man yelled with a fist slammed onto the table, knocking down multiple stationed figurines on the battle map.

“As a father, my family’s safety must always take the most urgency in my schedule. How can I be expected to protect my people if I can’t even protect my own daughters?”

“But you are putting the lives of your citizenry with each passing...” the man stopped himself as he grew aware of Ting Ting’s presence.

“Please continue,” the princess urged.

“What is she doing here?” the man asked in a deep voice to the Emperor, addressing her as if she weren’t there.

“I am here to lend my mind to protecting my people,” Ting Ting asserted.

“A war room is no place for a princess or a woman in general,” the official scoffed.

“Excuse me!?” she felt heat rush to her face at the statement, “I’ve been raised to run this nation since I was small. I’ve studied our history, the great generals and the corrupted, the battles won and lost, and need I remind you that China’s greatest hero of our time is none other than the renowned woman, Fa Mulan?! I understand war as well as anyone you’ve ever had seated in this room!”

“Please! If it weren’t for you and your sisters, we wouldn’t  _ need _ to be seated here today!” Chi Fu snapped back.

Ting Ting felt the blood that had amassed itself in her head retreat.  _ He was right.  _

The Emperor raised up his hand, urging the small man to back away from the girl, but he’d said what he needed to. Ting Ting took a melancholy seat at the table and listened to the admirals, scouts, and advisors offer their two cents as she stood there in silence. She listened to the men rationing their battalions. Estimates of how many lives would be lost in each potential battle were calculated so they could weigh the cost with the benefit. **Who should die? Who should live?** _This war was coming because of her; because of her sisters. Soldiers would have to give their lives to fix the mistakes they had made._ ** _It wasn’t fair._**

Mornings and nights passed, and every day Ting Ting would take her place in the war room and observe; trying to think of something,  _ anything _ , she could do to take this burden away from the men. Guilt ate away at her with each passing day;  _ there had to be something that could be done to stop the bloodshed before it began... _

It was early one morning when a carrier arrived at the palace gates with a single letter. From the looks of the poor man, he seemed to have been traveling for days nonstop. Whatever he had come to bring, it was urgent. The letter was given to the Emperor during one of the battle meetings that had become oh too common in days of late.

Ting Ting leaned forward in hopes to catch a glimpse of the letter’s seal and determine its origin, but her efforts were to no avail.

“Who is it from, my lord?” one of the council members dared to ask.

“It is from the palace of Qui Gong!” the Emperor stated, as shocked as everyone else in the room. 

_ Your Majesty, my nation is in dire need of help.  _

_ The Mongol army has ascended on Qui Gong, and its sheer size is triple that of our entire militia! If the heavens shall smile upon us and offer my country a second chance, may I ask for any diplomatic way our two nations might come together to quell this threat? Our soldiers cannot hold on much longer, and when we fall, the war with China will be inevitable, and the Mongol’s forces and resources will be stronger than they’ve ever been. I don’t believe either of our kingdoms can survive alone, but if we could still form an alliance, we may find ourselves with the power to save countless innocent lives. _

_ Urgently, Lord Qin of Qui Gong _

The Emperor then rolled up the letter and stared into the distance; a look of grave concern written across his face. He just didn’t know.  _ What would happen? What should he do? What  _ **_could_ ** _ he do? _

A minute of dreadful silence spread across the room before the eerie quiet was interrupted by the harsh squeak of a stool being pushed out of the way as someone rose.

“I know what needs to be done!” the young princess declared. 

The men looked at the girl skeptically, ready to dismiss her idea when a soft, but strong voice came to her support.

“What did you have in mind?” her father asked her, earning the attention and respect of everyone in the war room.

Ting Ting felt pride course through her veins as her father gave her the strength she needed to continue, “I alone can form an alliance with Qui Gong by wedding Prince Jeeki… or any of Qin’s sons.”

A moment of silence took over the room followed by a wave of murmurs and speculation.

“I’m aware that previously all three of my sisters wedding would be required to combine our two nations, but our brother, Qui Gong, finds himself in a state of war and despair! They need us, and we too shall need them if we’re to have any fighting chance against these invaders. They will not turn down such an offer.”

“Ting Ting,” the Emperor cautioned, “you are aware you were given an explicit pardon from a powerful spirit to marry at your own will and pleasure?”

“I’m aware,” Ting Ting assured him, a hint of sadness entering her eyes as she glared down, “however, this is my will, and it is a privilege to marry for the sake of peace. My pleasure comes from serving my people, and that’s what I intend to do.”

With that, the sound of a single pair of hands clapping could be heard from across the room. There, standing in at the table, was the military officer she had met only days prior. His gaze met hers with respect and sincerity. From there, another hand joined in the rhythm, and then another, and another. Soon all sounds were drowned out by that of clapping. From clapping grew cheering, and then even chanting. All of the princess’ inner fear and doubt melted away;  _ despite what she wanted in her heart, she was going to do the right thing. _

  
  


“I was to set off to Qui Gong this morning,” Ting Ting explained to the friends that sat before her, lightheaded at the recollection of it all, “but I couldn’t bear to leave without seeing you again.”

Inside, she would miss all of them deeply, but her eyes focused on Ling’s. His expression read that of loss and helplessness, and it was complemented by Ting Ting’s sorrow. By this time, the sun was setting, and lanterns had been placed at the tables for light.

“Ting Ting, I’m so sorry...” Mulan tried to comfort her but failed to find the words.

“No one should be forced to marry someone they don’t love,” Shang chimed in wholeheartedly, placing a gentle hand on the princess’ arm.

“No one is forcing me,” Ting Ting solemnly explained, placing her hand on top of his, “this is my choice. I cannot allow my selfishness to come at the cost of my people. It’s my duty as a princess to do all in my power to protect them…”

Her gaze then met Chien Po, who was just hurt by the thought of it all, “ and this way, Mei and Su are free to choose,” she further explained, “Su will be free and be happy again, and Mei may even decide to return home and restore peace in my father’s heart.”

Everything about Ting Ting’s choice screamed that it was the right course of action to take, but the group couldn’t help but feel anger and deep sadness at the situation.  _ Ting Ting should have as much right to a good life as anyone else. Why did the well-being of others have to come at the expense of her own? _

Ting Ting grabbed a cloth napkin from under utensils at one of the empty table settings and filled it with as many gold coins as she could find on her person. She then folded it by its corners and closed it together with a spare hair clip. 

Mulan and Shang stared at her intently as she passed the makeshift pocket over to them.

“I know it’s not a traditional hongbao, and I apologize,” she said with a lovingly sad smile, “I want you to know that I wish you two every happiness in the world, and I hope your lives are filled with prosperity and love. You deserve it. And please, don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing.”

The couple smiled at her gratefully, knowing that they weren’t going to alter her opinion. The best thing they could do right now was to support her choice; just as they did for Mei and Yao.

Ting Ting exchanged hugs and sentiments with Mulan, Shang, and Chien Po before asking Ling if she could get a word with him privately. He agreed without a second of hesitation, and the two made their way outside the estate and away from the crowd. Now the sky was navy blue, and light came from the moon and stars.

Ting Ting looked at the man and saw a look of disappointment and sorrow unmatched by anything she had witnessed prior.

“I’m sorry,” she started sadly, grasping his hands in hers, “but this is something I have to do … for the good of everyone.”

“I know...” 

“Ling, you’re the first person I’ve ever felt genuine love and affection for outside of my family … and I fear you may also be the last,” Ting Ting admitted.

“Don’t say that,” he urged, “you have the right to a happy life, no matter who you marry!”

“But I’ve never felt any happiness like I do when you’re with me,” her voice was unwittingly growing louder and more passionate, “it’s like you not only accept me for the person I truly am, but you admire me for it! You make me want to embrace my inner self instead of hiding it … I don’t know if I can ever find that again.”

Ling pulled her into a hug and rested his head on top of hers.

“I’m so selfish,” Ting Ting stated on the brink of tears.

“What! How?!” Ling asked, shocked by the very implication.

“This is what I know needs to be done, but I so badly want to hold onto this feeling,” Ting Ting explained as tears stained her face, “if I were truly selfless, wouldn’t I be happy right now? Happy that my actions will help so many people. What right do I have to be sad!?!”

Ling pulled her away and held her by both arms to look sternly into her eyes, “YOUR RIGHT AS A PERSON! You’re doing an amazing thing for two countries, but it’s going against what YOU want! At the least, you have the right to be upset!”

His sudden aggression scared her, but his sentiment was so sincere and heartfelt, she felt all restraint and logic flee her senses. In one quick and uncontrollable motion, she leaned forward and kissed the man in front of her; the soldier who had shown her a world, unlike anything she’d ever expected to have experience in her life. After a few seconds of initial shock, Ling returned the motion before the girl suddenly pulled away.

“I’m sorry,” she said, holding a hand up to her lips.

“No, it’s okay,” Ling assured her.

The two shared one more hug before Ting Ting began making her way towards the carriage, “I’ll never forget you, Ling!” she called out.

“I’ll never forget you either!” he called back as he watched the princess disappear behind wooden doors.

Before he knew it, the chauffer had given the signal and the carriage had begun its journey to Qui Gong. Ling tracked it as long as he could on foot, looking through the small side window at the last glimpses of Ting Ting he’d likely ever get. They met each other's eyes once more before the distance between them became too great and the night too dark; they lost sight of one another. 

And that was it. 

She was gone.

**_The burden of a princess is to guard the hopes of her people, and often at the sacrifice her own._ **


	19. New Faces of Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding is over. Ting Ting is gone. It was now time for everyone to get settled in their new lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AWW MAN!!!! THIS CHAPTER IS EVEN LATER THAN THE LAST ONE!!!!!!!!! I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!

Midnight was approaching and nearly all the guests had left. Even Shang’s mother, it seemed, had started home without them. Ling returned to the table with his back hunched forward and tears still slowly making their way down his face. He caught the attention of Mulan first, who immediately rose and walked up to give him a hug; Shang and Chien Po joined in soon after. 

“It’s going to be alright. I promise,” Mulan assured him, stroking the boy’s back. 

“We’re all here for you too… if you ever need to talk,” Chien Po added.

“Thanks, you guys,” Ling returned as he pulled away and wiped one of his eyes dry with a sniffle.

As the group began to separate themselves, they became aware of approaching footsteps and the ground illuminating behind them. They turned to find Fa Zhou and Li walking towards them with a lantern. 

“You’re still here? I thought everyone had left some time ago,” Mulan’s mother remarked.

“Without saying goodbye!? Never!” Shang replied with a smile.

“Well, you children are welcome to come inside out of the cold if you wish,” Fa Zhou was sure to offer.

“I actually think I was gonna head home. Thank you though,” Ling declared, giving the Fas a grateful smile. Chien Po nodded in agreement.

“Shang and I should probably be heading home too, it’s getting late,” Mulan added.

Her parents' expressions turned somber, but they nodded their heads in agreement. 

“We understand,” Fa Li said sadly.

“But first...” Mulan began before tiptoeing up to whisper something into her dad’s ear. 

Shang watched and smiled as Fa Zhou’s expression turned to curiosity and surprise.

“Well … I don’t mind...” Fa Zhou started before turning to Shang, “...but his mother?”

“She’ll be fine,” Shang chuckled.

“Then by all means, go ahead,” Fa Zhou replied with a smile.

Mulan let out a light squeal of delight before racing inside the house.

Fa Li stared at her in confusion before turning to Zhou and Shang, “What just happened?”

“Apparently the couple has decided they’re taking the dog,” Fa Zhou explained.

“...oh.”

Mulan returned moments later with Little Brother in hand.

“Sorry, Mom,” she giggled as the dog squirmed in her grip.

The four exchanged their final goodbyes and promised to visit again soon before mounting their horses and making their way out of the estate. At the gates they found Ling and Chien Po readying themselves to leave.

“Are you going to be alright?” Shang asked Ling.

“I’ll be okay,” he tried to assure them.

“We can take you home if you want,” Mulan offered, “you don’t have to travel on foot this late.”

“No, no,” Ling replied as he tried to brush off the suggestion, “I’m a trained soldier, I can handle myself. And I’m sure you two have much more exciting things to do right now then escort me home.”

Mulan and Shang exchanged a pair of awkward glances before he spoke again.

“Besides, I have Chien Po here too. We’ll be fine!”

“I’ll make sure he gets home safely, I promise,” Chien Po assured the couple.

With that, the couple gave them a friendly nod and motioned for their horses to proceed forward. They watched to see the two soldiers make their way down the road before allowing themselves to pick up their own speed, making well on their way back to the Li manor.

As Mulan and Shang left, a small figure atop the walls of the Fa gates watched them on their way. The red dragon couldn’t help but let out a sigh as he watched them go.

With the combining of the temples, Mushu was now free to keep his residence and his pedestal here without issue; all his troubles were gone. However, as Mulan and Shang’s silhouettes faded farther into the distance, Mushu couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing and emptiness come over him. With his head held a bit low, he made his way back into the estate, sparing a moment to catch a final glare in their direction. _It wasn’t so bad; he was still here, after all. It’s not like he would never see them again._ **_Right?_ **

  
  


Mulan and Shang arrived home early morning. Shu’s horse was in its stable, so at the least the couple knew she had made it back. Mulan ruled it best to also settle Little Brother in the stable for now, and figure out that situation in the morning. Once they made it inside, the exhaustion of the day caught up with them and they wanted nothing more than to sleep. 

While Shang left to wash, Mulan began changing out of her wedding dress and into her sleeping clothes. As she did so, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense come over her. It was as if she weren’t alone; like someone else was there. Her suspicions turned to fear when she could swear she heard the room door swiftly open and shut. 

Now on high alert, Mulan slowly backed up towards the wall and carefully scoped the room, looking for the source of the noise. Now it was eerily silent. Her gaze shifted in all directions, and the longer she spent without finding the intrusion, the greater her anxiety grew. 

“Hey!” a voice announced.

Mulan flinched back with a gasp, bumping her head to the wall, before finally finding the intruder, “...Mushu!?”

The dragon stood next to her on the floor, giving her a smirk before extending his arms, “C’mon, don’t leave me hanging!”

Mulan immediately picked him up and pulled him into an affectionate hug, “What are you doing here!?” 

“Where else would I be? I’m your guardian! Wither thou go I goeth, girl!”

She giggled and gave him a compassionate smile before another thought crossed her mind, “Wait! What about your pedestal?”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Mushu shrugged it off, “a quick talk with the residents and I’ll be up the corporate ladder in no time!”

“Well,” Mulan replied, trying to stifle a yawn, “it looks like you’ve got it all figured out then...” 

“Oh, don’t you be stayin’ up on my account,” he told her as he patted her cheek, “you’ve had a long day, you need to rest.”

“No, I’m fine...”

“I have to get myself settled here anyway. Don’t you even worry. You get your sleep! That’s an order!” Mushu insisted before scurrying out of the room.

The serpent made his way up the rafters in an effort to scope out the house and figure out where to go. Climbing over the various rooms in the home he began to get a feel for the layout, making navigating the structure less complicated. Once he had finally reached the outside of the house, he was able to locate the Li family shrine and made his way over. 

Mushu entered the stone room slowly, crawling on all fours. It was cold and dark, and the sound of his claws hitting the floor echoed through the otherwise silent room. 

“...Hello?” he whispered. _No response._

He timidly made his way further inside the shrine, looking around for any signs of life; _or afterlife._

“Hello!” he announced again, a bit louder, “My name is Mushu… I’m a guardian from the house of Fa!”

With that, the engravings on the shrines began to illuminate and the light streaks of spirits slowly started to escape from them. _These were the Li ancestors._ As they took form, one could clearly see the difference between these spirits and the ancestors of the Fa house. The women were all extremely poised; _much like Tàitài Shu._ They held themselves upright with their chins high and all of their arms folded or behind their back. As for the men, they were almost all well built and stood with dignity; even in death they didn’t break their posture. Many of them seemed quite young for spirits, but with their state it came as no surprise; their full uniforms, some with gaping holes running directly through their ghostly forms, and others with large arrows or various other weapons still stuck in their bodies. There was absolutely no denying the Lis’ military lineage.

“Yes, my wife has been telling me every day of Mulan and the Fas,” a deep voice spoke through the crowd. 

Making his way towards Mushu was a short but sturdy man. A well groomed beard framed his face and judging by his tattered uniform one could deduce he was engaged in a long and heated battle right before his passing, finally taken down by a final sword through the heart. **_It was General Li, Shang’s father._ **

“My dear Shu is much less than enthused,” the general chuckled off, “but I knew Fa Zhou well. He was an excellent soldier and a great man. I am honored to welcome his daughter into the house of Li.”

With his sentiment, a good number of ancestors shared a look of annoyance, many turning away or rolling their eyes.

“You’ll have to forgive them,” Shang’s father told Mushu, “many are still upset at my son for choosing not to marry a lady of noble birth. As you’ve probably realised, that includes my beloved.”

Mushu nodded in agreement, about to offer his own two cents before being cut off. 

“The real issue at hand is much less about your son’s wife, and more about what your son has done,” an older ancestor angrily interjected, looking the general in the eye before turning to Mushu, “specifically the reason _he_ is here.”

“Hehe...” the dragon laughed nervously, “I … I can explain...”

“The Li family already has the greatest guardians in all of China!” he declared, “we’ve no need for this Fa infestation!”

Mushu looked up at the ghost in fear, unsure of what to say.

“He makes a point,” General Li agreed, “my son was raised with the utmost respect for our customs and traditions, and his actions were most unorthodox. What force could’ve possibly led him to defy the rules and combine the temples?”

“W… w… what force?” Mushu repeated in a stutter.

The general nodded and the other ancestors looked to the dragon with curiosity, skepticism, and hints of anger in their eyes.

“I guess… **well I guess it was love.** ”

His sentiment did little to ease the minds of the Li ancestors, who simply continued their staring.

“Yeah … yeah, that’s right,” Mushu declared, “Mulan plays by her own rules, yes, but that’s why Shang loves her! He combined the temples so that instead of saying goodbye to who she is, Mulan could carry her family and guardians, like me, over with her, and our two houses could be united instead of his … _yours_ … just taking over completely.”

While many of the ancestors scoffed at the notion of “love” acting as any kind of explanation or justification for the boy’s actions, others were able to accept that what was done was done and all they could do now was deal with the situation at hand.

“So what brings you _here_ , little one?” another Ancestor asked him.

“Yes. You could’ve continued your role as guardian from your own estate. And one would think a guardian such as yourself would find heaven in his home sanctuary.”

Mushu thought back; they weren’t wrong. He had earned himself a life befitting a god on his pedestal back home. By choosing to come here, he’d be abandoning that life… **but it wasn’t without reason.**

“I decided to come here,” Mushu started with a shaky breath, “because I also love Mulan. We’ve been through so much together and my friendship with her is a hundred times more valuable than any pedestal. I came here so I could stay by her side.”

“That was very noble of you,” General Li told him with a smile, “however you do understand that you cannot expect the same status here that you enjoyed at the house of Fa?”

“I do,” Mushu said as he exhaled and slouched his back slightly, “but I’m alright with that. Who knows? Maybe I can even work my way up!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” the General chuckled before turning to the other spirits. After many of them gave various gestures of approval he turned back to Mushu. 

“Welcome to the house of Li, great Fa guardian. If you’d like to reside here, there is much you should learn. I trust my old friend will be happy to teach you.”

With General Li’s sentiment, a large shadow blocked the moonlight that was coming in through the shrine’s opening. Before it stood a majestic lion who announced his presence with a powerful roar.

**“My name is ShiShi.”**


	20. A New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulan and Shang are settling into their new life together, and that means getting used to living together with Shu while upholding their prior commitments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS SO LATE!!!!!!!! Everything's been incredibly hectic!

Mushu and ShiShi spent the next few days strolling the grounds and getting to know one another and their respective families better. 

From Mushu, ShiShi learned that while not of particularly high class, the Fas were a very well respected local family. They didn’t have a specific trade, but while some explored business endeavors such as acupuncture, most made their livings as farmers. The home was elevated by Mulan’s father, the brave veteran, Fa Zhou, who fought heroically under General Li’s battalion before being crippled in battle. The home was then raised into an even more glorious rank after Mulan’s heroism saved China from the grave threat of the Hun army. Mushu himself was one of many Fa guardians, but (by his own account) he was the most decorated in the house, and he had single-handedly guided Mulan to victory.

From Shishi, Mushu learned that the Lis ancestry followed that of many brave captains and generals; some even considered the family the protectors of China. For as many generations as could be recalled the Lis have been present, preparing soldiers for the rage of war and leading troops into battle.; it was the family’s calling. As such, the Lis were of incredibly high social status and well respected throughout society. Shishi considered himself the best guardian in existence, so he found his role protecting the Lis to be perfectly fitting as they were the best family. He had helped to guide and protect twenty generations of them, but had been closest to Shang’s father, General Li. The mere number of names to ShiShi’s credit intimidated Mushu greatly. 

“So you’ve guided Fa Mulan. Who else?” the lion curiously inquired.

The dragon thought back.  _ It had been 500 years since he’d even been allowed to guard the members of his house and at the time of his initial departure, he by no means had left on good terms.  _ **_Oh, poor Deng…_ **

“Oh no one important,” Mushu shrugged off, “definitely no one who could top my girl anyway.”

ShiShi could tell his answer was incomplete but chose not to further press the question;  _ at least not now _ . The two decided to continue into the house and see how matters were progressing for the young couple and Shu. The tension between them had been no secret since Mulan and Shang’s marriage; specifically, Shu’s blatant disapproval of pretty much everything Mulan did.

It was early morning and the house was overall at peace. Shu entered the family dining room to find her son sitting at the table intently studying some military charts and paperwork. She turned away from him and found Mulan fastening a belt onto a faded green shirt while dawning a worn down pair of pants.

“Now where do you think  _ you’re  _ going?” she asked with a scornful look on her face.

“You’d rather me stay here with you? Because I can...” Mulan snarkily replied.  _ Shang’s mother still intimidated her, make no mistake, but one can only take so much ridicule before allowing themselves to snap back. _

Her remark earned a low grumble from Shu as she prepared herself to walk away.

“If you really must know, I am going to my parents’ house. I have chores to do,” Mulan explained.

“Preposterous! You’re married now. You’ve a new house and family to worry about.”

Shang looked up at his mother unsure of what to say.  **_This wasn’t going to end well..._ **

Mulan was a bit taken aback by the mere notion that Shang’s mother even bothered to consider her family, but the implication that the Lis were her  _ new _ family and that she no longer belonged with her parents just angered her.

“I have responsibilities at home.  **My home** ,” she asserted firmly, “my mother and grandmother are by no means built for physical labor and my father can hardly walk. It’s always been my job to rake and pull weeds from around our field. I intend to do this once a week ... until the season is over at the least!” 

“Can they not simply hire someone to take up this menial task?”

“What difference does it make?” Mulan asserted as she flung a small pouch over her shoulder.

“Shang,” Shu called.

**_Oh great.._** Shang slowly raised his head, clearly not wanting to involve himself in the matter if he didn’t have to.

“Please explain to your wife the ridiculous nature of her intent to travel clear across town to …  **garden** !”

Shang rose from his seat and stationed himself in front of his wife, “Mulan, it is absolutely ridiculous for you to travel across town every week to garden,” he firmly stated.

Mulan stood silently with her mouth agape in utter shock at Shang’s position in the argument.  _ Really? I know she’s your mother, BUT REALLY!? _

“ ** _...without an escort, of course,_** ” Shang added with a wink and small smirk.

Shu shot him a look but he had already started down the hall and declared he’d be ready to leave momentarily.

“Li Shang!” she called angrily before finally taking a seat and massaging her temples in defeat. 

  
  


“Well… that was… interesting…” ShiShi remarked, turning to the small dragon next to him.

“Aren’t they cute? I think they’re adorable!” Mushu replied, leaning his weight against the lion’s large forelimbs. 

“Fa Mulan most definitely, as you said, ‘plays by her own rules’...”

While perhaps not intended as such, Mushu beamed in pride at the compliment. 

“What I cannot understand is the girl’s persistence,” ShiShi explained, “Shu made an excellent point. They could simply hire a worker to do this farming. There is no need for Mulan to go out of her way for something so minute.”

“Oh, there’s so much you don’t know, champ,” Mushu jokingly sighed while wiping a tear from his eye, “c’mon, let’s follow them. Trust me, this is gonna be fun!”

  
  


Following the couple’s escape from Shang’s mother, they proceeded on what turned out to be a rather pleasant commute to Mulan’s parents’ home. It was no denying the fact that it was a long distance to travel regularly as the Li house was stationed in what one would refer to as “the wealthier side of town”, but the extra effort was no burden at all if it meant making life easier for Mulan’s parents.

When the couple arrived at the Fa house, they were greeted by Mulan’s mother, Fa Li, who was just as surprised to see her there as Shu had been about her leaving.

“What on Earth are you doing here!?” she asked after drawing the two of them into a hug.

“We came to finish my chores. The field’s not going to rake itself,” Mulan explained with a smile.

“That’s very sweet of you, dear, but there’s really no need to...”

“Please, it would be our honor to do so,” Shang pressed with a slight bow.

Fa Li looked for a further argument, but knew it would be to no avail. As such, she agreed to the young couple’s notion on the condition that they came in for lunch and tea when they were finished. Mulan and Shang eagerly agreed to her terms and then fetched the necessary gardening tools before making their way out to the field.

  
  


The guardians observed while Mulan and Shang spent the next half hour outside pulling weeds and raking the land before ShiShi turned to Mushu in frustration.

“Why exactly are we here!? I understand. Fa Mulan is loyal to her parents and hard-working, but I understood that from her initial conversation at home!”

“Shhh, shhhhh!” Mushu demanded, earning a look of anger from his lion comrade as he continued. “Look there!” Mushu instructed, pointing at the rustling of the bamboo surrounding the area.

Mulan and Shang became aware of the noise and set the gardening tools down as they rose to their feet. Through the bamboo, one by one the heads of a familiar troop of little girls peaked out before fully emerging into the flat space.

“Mulan! General Shang! You came!!!” they squealed before rushing to hug the renowned couple.

“Of course! I made a promise, didn’t I?” Mulan replied as she bent herself down and lightly tapped the tip of one of the girls’ noses, earning a giggle from her.

“My mom said that you couldn’t come any more now that you were married,” Sha Ron added, “I knew she was wrong!”

ShiShi observed closely, his cat eyes dilating at the scene; the little village girls proceeded to take on various battle stances and fighting positions with Mulan as their coach. She was running the girls through motions and simplified military drills while both she and Shang shared their own training wisdom and battle stories! It was unlike anything he’d ever seen.

“Why!? How… What is she doing??” ShiShi asked the small dragon, refusing to take his eyes off of the spectacle.

“Mulan inspired them,” Mushu explained, “she’s a hero, and now they want to be like her! She loves teaching the kids what she knows! And the kids love her!”

The lion contemplated the situation for a bit before nodding his head, “Yes… yes, I suppose this is good...”

Mushu looked up at him optimistically. 

“This is a possibility I hadn’t considered,” ShiShi continued, “as the future mother of the next generation of Lis, Fa Mulan could serve quite well teaching the ways of combat and war to the couple’s sons… long before formal training would begin for them!”

“Wait… what!?”

“What I don’t understand is why she is spending her time educating the female youth instead of focusing her attention on the young men. One would consider such an effort to be… well, rather pointless,” ShiShi explained before finally looking away from Mulan’s demonstration to face Mushu who stood speechless before him, “...is something the matter?”

“I… I… how did we get here???”

“Last I recall, you are the one who dragged us both out to this field,” ShiShi replied, stone-faced.

“No, I mean your whole ‘future mother’ talk!” Mushu clarified, still extremely shaken by the implication.

“Please! Surely you, a renowned family guardian for generations, know the implications of marriage.”

“...I mean, yeah… but...” Mushu was at a loss for words. 

He had been so preoccupied with having to let Mulan go, to his pedestal, to his new position as a guardian in a combined temple, that he seemed to have glossed over the fact that Mulan and Shang were now married. They’d be entering a new stage of their lives!  _ His baby girl was all grown up... _

That said, ShiShi was still a bit blind to the dragon’s point. Mulan had changed the world! Changed the perception of what honor meant and how one’s worth was defined!

“Because she is teaching the girls that they can be strong too! It’s not just boys who need this,” Mushu tried to explain. It was to no avail. Every argument he made was met with a counter or a look of pure loss and confusion from the stone lion.

**_He just didn’t understand!_** _This entire family was just so caught on tradition! Calm down, Mushu. Deep breaths. No doubt, with time understanding would grow naturally.._. He’d just have to be patient. 

Training concluded a few hours later, and with the arrangement she had set up, Mulan was able to reassure the girls that she’d be back the same time next week, and their lessons would continue. With that, they made their ways home, and Mulan and Shang helped themselves to lunch with the Fas. The meal was refreshingly enjoyable. Eating at the Li home was still so awkward, but here everyone was so at ease and supportive. Even the food here tasted better;  _ the servants at Shang’s home prepared the most wondrous things, make no mistake _ , but one could just feel the love in the homemade meals Mulan’s mother prepared. The family was more than eager to inquire into how Mulan was assimilating into her own home and how Shang was adjusting to the change as well. They offered some recommendations where they could, but for the most part the advice was the same as what they had figured;  _ it would just take time for things to feel natural. _

After lunch, the couple proceeded home.

“So this is the new normal, huh?” Mulan said, turning to Shang with a smile.

Shang took a moment to take in the day before responding, “Yeah, I guess it is…” He paused before reaching out his hand and placing it on top of hers, “This was fun, I liked this.”

“Me too.”

The two rode on and arrived back at their estate a short while later. As they put the horses away, Mulan couldn’t help but notice a scratching coming from one of the vacant stables. She peaked over the door and found an anxious Little Brother pawing at the wood.

**_Seriously…_ **

“Shang, your mom locked up Little Brother again,” Mulan stated as she rolled her eyes and picked up the dog.  _ Shu didn’t like him in the slightest, but it didn’t matter. Little Brother was here to stay. _

“Well, just bring him back in I guess,” Shang sighed, “I’ll try to reason with her.”

The two made their way inside where they found Shu leaning against the entrance wall.

“Enjoy your gardening trip?” she asked them, looking down at the couple.

“We did,” Mulan responded, releasing the terrier and watching him as he scurried farther into the house.

“Mother, can you please stop locking out Little Brother? He’s an indoor dog!” Shang added as he’d promised.

Shu shot him a look before turning back to Mulan, “There must’ve been quite a mess out there for the amount of time spent there.”

Acknowledging that she was getting closer, Mulan’s blood began to run as anxiety flowed through her veins, “Yes, we were quite busy … we also had lunch there...”

“Oh, is that all?” Shu asked her in a scarily kind tone before turning to Shang. “Nothing more notable?”

“Uh...” Shang started, running a hand down the back of his neck, “no. That was pretty much it...”

“You disgraceful lying child!” she finally snapped, her eyes narrowing at her son, “I’ve come to expect this kind of insolence from her, but I raised you as a man of honor!”

That sentiment hit him hard.  _ She was right… as much of a pain as she could be, it was unacceptable for him to lie to her. She was still his mother… _

“You!” Shu declared, refocusing her attention on Mulan, “you are playing a dangerous game! Your actions corrode the very foundation of our society; you have no business with those children!”

“How … how did you?”

“Please. Nothing in this village gets past me,” she dismissed in a harsher version of her usual condescending tone, “things are structured the way they are _for_ _a reason_!”

Mulan looked to Shang for support, but found that he just seemed ashamed and wanted to distance himself from the situation. Seeing as another fight with her wouldn’t change a thing, she simply let out a scoff and stormed off.  _ Tàitài Shu wasn’t her mother; she couldn’t simply insult and then order her around and expect her to comply! And Shang…  _ **_well Shang was a different story…_ ** _ He is her son, they have their own histories to work past, and it wasn’t her place to interfere. However, the situation with the kids was her own, and it was her call to make; no one else’s. There was no way she was going to let these girls down!  _

_ This was something important to them.  _ **_Important to her!_ ** _ And so what if it went against tradition; so did she! If these girls were ready for the change, then she would be there more than ready to help them!  _

**_This was the new normal, and Shu would have to get used to it._ **


	21. Trail of Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulan and Shang seem to be working things out back home; meanwhile, a whole new reality is awaiting Ting Ting as she prepares for her marriage to a prince of Qui Gong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so late!!! I don't know how many times I can say I'm sorry, but I'm sorry!!!!!!!!! I'm also sorry it's so short!!!!!!!!!

It had been but a few days since Ting Ting’s leave from Mulan and Shang’s wedding. Her small company was progressing swiftly and surely to Qui Gong, and, by the looks of the landscape she’d encountered on her last journey there, they would arrive at the kingdom in less than a day's time. 

As much as Ting Ting wanted to savor her last moments of freedom along the road, she couldn’t bring herself to request a stop or even leave the carriage without urgency on their trip. _It would be …_ **_rude._ **This wasn’t some recreational voyage that she could afford to delay to enjoy herself or take in the scenery. The thoughts she flooded her mind with to resist such desires were by no means ones of reassurance and consolation, rather harsh reminders of the grief she faced. 

_China is in grave danger because of you; you don’t deserve to indulge yourself! How much joy can you get out of there anyway? It’s not as if you’re in company of any value to you;_ **_after all, your sisters are gone. You’ll likely never be all together again..._ **

Ting Ting tried to repress the thought, but it was to no avail. Intrusions such as these served only to bring her more pain and longing as she imagined a world where things were different. 

_What if nothing had changed in their judgment? What if they had never found Ling, Yao, and Chien Po? What if all three of them had gone through their intended marriages in Qui Gong!? They may not have found love, but would that really have been so bad? They’d have resumed lives relatively close to that which they’d known, and they’d be married to three brothers all under the same roof. They’d probably all still be together…. Imagine that! The trouble Mei and Su could get into, the stories they could all tell, the chance to mature and raise their families together!_

Ting Ting snapped back to reality and brushed the notion away as far as it would go. She simply couldn’t ponder such a thing! **_It was selfish!_ ** The idea of compromising her sisters’ freedom and choice so she wouldn’t be alone; she scolded herself for the very thought.

 _Selfish! Selfish! Selfish!_ **_You’re nothing short of disgraceful, you wretched woman!_ **

“Your Highness?” a voice called, freeing her from her subconscious turmoil. 

“Yes, is something the matter?” she replied as she made her way to the carriage’s door. There before her stood a stable boy, one of the servants accompanying the party. 

“No, not at all,” he clarified before gesturing to the river beside them, “we’re just stopping to water the horses. We were wondering if you’d like to step out and stretch your legs?”

“No, no. I’m fine,” she lied.

Before she could close the door, the young man stopped the hinge with his hand, “Please, Your Majesty. You’ve yet to leave the carriage all day; some fresh air would do you much good.”

She looked down on him and saw the compassion and concern in his eyes, “If it will make you feel better, I’ll keep the door and windows open to air out the inside until the horses are ready to leave,” she told him with a smile.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” he responded before backing away with a bow. 

Ting Ting spent the next few minutes lingering by the carriage’s interior edge. While not quite the destresser she needed, watching the horses drink while the company tended to them acted as a great distraction. For those brief moments, she was able to escape her head and get back to reality. 

As the party finished up and readied to leave, Ting Ting reclosed her door and windows, once again trapping herself alone inside. The only light source was the rim of the sliding window which didn’t quite shut, but aside from that, the room was enveloped in darkness. That was the way she wanted it. It complimented her mood and denied her the stimuli of her senses, allowing her mind to wander.

In an effort to prevent herself from drifting back to her last fantasy, she tried to reinforce the truths she needed to face:

_It was time to accept the situation for what it was and stop fantasizing about potential realities. She needed to focus on the future at hand. She would soon arrive in Qui Gong. There she would wed Qin’s eldest son, Jeeki. What would he be like? He was the one who nearly wed Mulan… but in her placement at the ceremony, she could hardly even see him. Who knows; maybe it wouldn’t be all that bad. From what she remembered of Mulan’s account, the boy had still a bit of growing up to do. Then again, that was Mulan, a girl who dropped everything to become a soldier in the imperial army. She was a bit more mature than most, herself. So who could really tell what to make of her husband to be…_

Finally exhausted by the burden of her thoughts, the princess allowed herself to lie down in the cabin atop the cushioned seat. She soon found herself losing to her exhaustion and drifting away. Before long, she awoke and was greeted by a familiar sight; two figures rapidly and enthusiastically approaching her. A young woman in her signature wrapped up hair was dawning a pink dress, and a slightly shorter but more energetic girl was kicking her feet up without a care as a giant grin lined her face; it was Mei and Su. Without question, Ting Ting rushed to meet the pair halfway and drew her little sisters into a passionate hug. She allowed the tears to finish running down her cheeks before she pulled away to question the circumstance, but when she turned to face them once again… they had vanished. 

She looked around the vastness surrounding her but failed to locate them. In the distance, however, she spotted a large, towering figure with a robe in a familiar drape _… Bàba?_ The figure turned to her, revealing its long hanging beard and familiar gentle face. 

“Bàba!” she exclaimed as she started running towards him, “what are you doing here!?”

As she continued running she got closer and closer to him, but he did not respond. When he was finally within reach, she excitedly extended her hand to meet his. As she made contact she found her fingers closing on themselves and the figure before her turned to smoke. She stared in shock and confusion at the emptiness where she could’ve sworn she had just seen her father, but there was nothing.

She was suddenly engulfed in a surge of loneliness; it coursed through her veins and sent chills through her. In an effort to contain herself, she grasped her arms and dropped to her knees. Her shuddering then came to an abrupt halt when she felt a hand rest itself on her back. Scared, she lifted her head and faced it. Behind her was the scrawny soldier she had come to love.

“...Ling?”

Instead of a reply, he gave her a look of sorrow and then dissolved into dust. She rushed to catch him, but only succeeded in collecting a few of the grains in her hand while the rest stained her clothes. She flexed her palms to better examine their content. _It wasn’t quite dust. It was softer and much lighter._ Suddenly, around her more specs started to float, clinging to her clothes and hair. She got up and scanned her surroundings to try and understand, but as she focused on shallowing her breaths in an effort not to inhale the substance, the smell made it clear. _This wasn’t dirt…_ **_it was ash._ **

Ting Ting rose and held her spinning head. It was dark, and she was once again laying on a cushioned seat only illuminated in a red streak of sunlight that squeezed through the ill-fitting window slide. _Had it all been a dream?_ She opened the window for some fresh air. Once again, she was hit with the smell of smoke.

“Is something burning?” she asked the driver through the window.

“Yeah, I smell it,” he affirmed, “probably just a field fire. We’re in the country, Ma’am.”

_A field fire? No, that wasn’t it… it couldn’t be._

“Glad to see you’re up, Your Highness,” another member of the party added, “we’re quite close to the city now.”

As the company trekked on, the smell became more intense and foul. Ting Ting had even considered shutting the window but ultimately decided against it for the sake of solidarity. They were nearing the capital after all. She needed to be not only presentable but completely alert and aware. The sun was already setting as it was; she couldn’t allow herself to fall asleep again.

By the time the gates of the city were in view, the smell was nearly unbearable. Ting Ting had once again taken her seat and was no longer looking through the window, rather focusing her attention on the illumination of what was now moonlight that it allowed in. She actually paid it quite little heed until something caught her eye. A little floating spec came in; it looked a bit like a snowflake. At first she dismissed it, but it was soon followed by another, and another. She extended a hand out to catch one and observed it closely as she stroked it with her finger, seeing and feeling it spread into a soft powder. _Ash._

“Do you see that!?” she heard the driver call from outside, undeniable concern in his voice. 

Ting Ting stuck her head through the large side window that had been covered with a curtain. All around them, falling ash. 

“Something’s wrong,” Ting Ting announced frantically, “stop the carriage!”

The party didn’t object, as they were all as worried as she was, and tightened the reins of their horses, bringing them to a halt. The team stood there in silence for a minute or so, not knowing what course of action to take. The smell surrounding them was appalling.

“What do we do now, Your Highness?” the young servant asked her, a look of dread in his eyes.

“We… we...” Ting Ting glanced at the rest of her company and then at the ash raining down on them. _What should they do? What_ **_could_ ** _they do?_

Before she could finish her thought, she was interrupted by the sound of approaching hooves. The party turned to see the silhouette of a man on a horse frantically waving his arms as he rode towards them. As he got closer, they could hear him yelling.

**_“TURN AROUND!”_ **


End file.
